


Heart Shaped Bread & Blanket Forts

by 29PheonixLement



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Curious Archer - Freeform, Cursed Hyperion Heights, F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-09
Updated: 2019-04-13
Packaged: 2019-04-20 13:43:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 22
Words: 31,584
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14262255
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/29PheonixLement/pseuds/29PheonixLement
Summary: A missed lunch date with her new best friend leads Tilly to make a late night drop by and in return she gets an invitation to build a castle out of blankets with a girl she kind of loves. (Yeah the summary doesn't really fit the plot but it goes along with it)





	1. Chapter 1

Margot sighed to herself as she recleaned the same glass for the tenth time or maybe it was the fourteenth or possibly the sixteenth she wasn't sure as her eyes kept casting over to the clock quietly grinding her teeth as is seemed to tick slower while she waited impatiently for her shift to be over. A wired thing for her considering the bar had just technically closed not ten minutes ago and was slowly starting to empty of the steady stream of late-night customers.

Tilly hadn't been at her job when Margot had stopped by during her lunch hour for her usual order of two banyans that she and Tilly would share as they opened up even more to each other about their days, the places they had been or wanted to go to or they'd spend the time just telling funny stories they'd make up to get the other to laugh and they had a kind of unspoken tradeoff between them on who would bring the drink they would also split between themselves.

She just couldn't understand why just the thought of that cute blonde with the wide infectious smile that really listened to her problems and gave her good advice about how to deal with it or tried anything she could think of to make Margot laugh as they sat close together on that park bench or across from each other on top of the troll where they had first met as they played a round or two of chess but always they seemed to be surrounded in that the warm scent of baking bread had such an effect on her.  Margot knew that she shouldn't be thinking so much about the other woman. They were just close friends nothing more, yet she just couldn't get her out of her mind no matter how hard (not very) she tried.

Even reading her favorite book in all the known world brought up images of her blue-eyed, blonde haired and incredibly feisty best friend into her head as she re-read Alice's story for the trillionth time. "Why do I have to have such a soft spot for the odd ones?" She sighed tracing her fingers over the name on the front cover of the book she'd stashed under the bar after her last break with a shake of her head and a whisper of a laugh she tossed the dishcloth over her shoulder and headed into the back room to restock the bar with extra snacks for the next day.

"I have an order here for Targo West." Greeted her as soon as she'd finished heaving the box of peanuts and bar napkins no one really use but they still order by the pound out of the back room.

Margot returned the greeting with a mildly annoyed eye roll while the blonde that had just slipped in when they were just about to officially lock up for the night yet here she was skipping her way over to the bar. "What am I going to do with you 'Almost Runaway' huh?" the bar stocker sighed at the joke setting the boxes down beside her mom and aunt, so they could deal with it.

Tilly just shrugged as she slipped onto a bar stool absently swinging her legs against the side of the bar as Margot came closer "How about taking these off my hands?" she answered with a hint of a flirtatious challenge in her tone still holding up the little white bag she'd brought with her.

A flitter of movement out of the corner of her eye made Margot turn her head just in time to see that both Roni and her mom seem to be in a kind of happy yet pained kind of upset at their banter before both turned away to recollect the last of the day’s receipts or presenting to be taking a call on an out of order phone as if they hadn't been watching the pair, but she shook it off once the tantalizing smell of baked goods reached her nose.

She had foolishly skipped out on breakfast that morning and had let Alice keep her company during her lunch hour in favor of eating when Tilly hadn't shown up for their "not a date" lunch date. Now it seemed she was paying the price for her negligence as the bag that amazing sent was coming from was slid across the bar top closer to her crossed arms. "I know I'm a lot late, but I was held up at work." Tilly explained her tone extremely apologetic as she met her friend's forest green gaze, "Not that work my other kind of work." She hurried on when Margot raised a challenging eyebrow as her jaw clenched at her words.

"I'm the odd days remember?" Tilly reminded her tilting her head curiously when that comment earned a popcorned round of poorly hidden laughter from the other two women at the bar counting up the day's receipts as they listened in on the conversation. "Look I wanted to make our date but then Weaver wanted me help out on a case he's working, and my phone died, or I would have texted you and told you I wouldn't be able to make it." Tilly continued as if the giggling wasn't making her uneasy at being overheard.

Margot closed her eyes letting out a slow breath as she adjusted her glasses while she thought everything over before she spoke. "So, have you got anymore 'happy accident' shapes for me?" she questioned leaning in over the bar just as Tilly did the same, so they were now nose to nose with each other with neither seeming to be uneasy at the closeness or the possibly considered intimacy of their position while the bag of treats had been momentarily forgotten beside them in favor of staring into each other's eyes.

"Only if you don't turn me in for experimenting." Tilly admitted with another shy smile "Your secrets are safe with me." Margot assured her pushing herself up over the bar rather than walking around the side of it to get to her friend's side faster while ignoring her still staring bosses.

Seriously what was with them right now? She was just talking with someone she considered a close friend, but they were watching them like they were expecting her to just grab Tilly and kiss her senseless at any moment. Or vice versa.

Not that Margot hadn't thought about doing just that a time or two herself during some of her talks with the bubbly blonde. "What?! We're not open anymore." She pointed out in a standoffish type tone looking at them both over the top of her glasses as she unconsciously interlocked her fingers with Tilly's as the blonde snatched the little snack bag from the bar as she hopped off the stool to follow her.

That had the start of tears forming in her mother's eyes that had her quickly speed walking into the back room leaving only Roni nodding in agreement.

"Oh, Tilly this is my boss and my aunt Roni. Aunt Roni this is Tilly. The one that went to the back for some reason is my mom Kelly and my other boss." Margot introduced gesturing between them with her free hand while the other stayed tightly clasped with Tilly's. Not that the blonde seemed upset with that fact if the calming little circles she was rubbing into the back of her hand was any indication.

"Hello." Tilly smiled suddenly shy as she swung their clasped hands between them biting her lower lip rather than her nails from her nerves.

"H..Hi….Tilly it's nice to meet you." Margot sent her aunt a curious look at the sad break in her voice at the name.

"Well, I should get going seeing as you've closed up for the day." Tilly suggested making Margot tighten her hold around her hand and Roni to quickly shake her head in defiance while blinking away unshed tears at the same time.

"Don't be silly." All three turned to see Zelena rejoin them her eyes still a little red from crying. "It's really late and I don't like the look of those streets at night no matter how tough and street smart anyone is." The mother continued when Tilly started to defend herself. "Besides I already called Rogers and told him you'd be staying the night with us." She added pretending not to notice the wide smile it brought out of her daughter.

The kind of smile that Robin only has when Alice is around or being talked about in her talks with Nook back in the Enchanted Forest when the woman herself was too busy working jobs with Rumple to stay at the camp with them.

"Please, Til." Margot pleaded "It could be like a sleepover. We can make a blanket fort in my room and everything." She offered missing yet another teary-eyed look Regina and Zelena exchanged at the hopeful tone in the young woman's voice.

Tilly's eyes flickered between them as she thought it over. "As long as I'm not imposing." She said at last her eyes still fixed on Margot's, yet her words were directed at the other two. Both Regina and Zelena shook their heads each assuring the young woman that she was more than welcome to stay over while Margot was all but dancing around in happiness at the agreement.

"Are you going to be okay?" Regina asked wrapping a comforting arm around her older sister's shoulder as her niece and her not yet remembered true love headed up the back steps to the overhead apartments. "Take a look." Zelena answered pushing the bag Tilly had brought with her toward her.

Regina just gave her a puzzled expression that soon melted into a softly whispered breath of surprise at the shapes the baked pieces of bread were in as her sister shook them out of the bag and onto the bar top.

One was an actual heart shape, two slightly crispy shaped rabbit looking ones and one that seemed to have been crafted into something that crudely resembled an arrow that had curved into a hook once it had been baked

"Hey, don't even think about stealing our heart."

Both of them turned at the warning to see Robin standing at the bottom of the steps in her light blue and white plaid pajama pants and her well-worn sleep shirt with a picture of a sleeping fox on it with the glare of the overhead light making her gaze like a kind of hazy green fire as she stared them down with Alice two steps behind her dressed in a borrowed pair of plain forest green pajama pants with a 'We're All Mad Here' tank top on.

"Wouldn't dream of it darling." Zelena laughed stepping back to let her daughter drop the pieces of bread back into the bag and carry them back over to her waiting best friend. "Night Mom." Margot answered handing the bag off to go back and give her mother a hug "Night Aunty Roni." She finished giving Regina the same parting hug.

"Night ladies." Zelena told them watching them with a breaking heart as her daughter followed her true love up the steps to the second floor.

"I know letting them be together might mean they share true love's kiss Regina." The former Wicked Witch reasoned once she was sure both of them were out of earshot. "But I've spent enough time when they knew who they were trying to deny that they are meant to be together just because I don't like sharing my little girl. I can't do that to her again Regina I just can't."

Regina nodded in quiet agreement already pulling two glasses from under the bar a sliding one of them over to her rambling sister. "I know and the harder we'd try to keep them apart the more they would find other ways of being together." She pointed out pouring each of them a healthy amount of a drink.

"Even without their memories, they are still happy together and right now that's all that matters to me." Zelena told her over the rim of her glass. Regina sighed in agreement holding out her glass to clink it with her sister's. "That all any mother can hope for." She pointed out draining the rest of her glass before pouring them both another drink.


	2. Castle Targo-Tilly-ah

“What’s ‘Castel Targo-Tilly-ah’?” Margot asked peeking over the top of the sketchpad Tilly had somehow found while poking around in her room and had now calmed as her own. Not that Margot minded one bit about the loss as she finished hunting down the rest of the pillows and blankets to add to their creation until she was near positive that the only ones not in the cozy nest encircling both her bed as well as herself and Tilly were the ones in her mother and aunt’s rooms.

Tilly didn’t answer right away like she hadn’t heard the question while Margot made herself comfortable beside the distracted blonde nibbling on the ear of one of the banyan bunnies Tilly had brought as she watched in quiet awe as the self-described ‘Crazy Tilly’ finished the artistic shading around the edges of the letters. “All the best castles- blanket or otherwise-have really cool names.” Tilly admitted her eyes finding and holding Margot’s as she kept absently tapping the end of one of the colored pencils she’d also claimed against her lower lip in thought.

“Like Camelot or Hogwarts.” Margot nodded trying to remember how to breathe in the short time Tilly’s eyes were fixed on her own until that curious ocean blue gaze dropped back to the page the blonde had propped up against her knees acting like a kind of artists easel. “and now ours has one too.” she finished setting the pencil aside and flashing that wide beaming smile Margot loved to bring out of her as she turned the page for inspection.

“It’s perfect.” Margot agreed fighting back the want to lean in and feel the warm of Tilly’s lips against her own as she looked between the page and its creator.

“Don’t leave….” Tilly pleaded startling her companion with the unbridled fear in her voice when she’d made to crawl back out of the little cocoon of pillows and blankets “But a work of art like this should be on display.” Margot pointed out with pride nodding to the page her ‘Almost Runaway’ had just completed. “Please Nobin.” Tilly begged still pulling at the back of her shirt instantly in a sudden attempt to make her stay. “The world feels all soul-crushing and suffocating when you leave.”

For some reason, the nickname brought the slightest hint of recognition from her hazy mind for some strange reason but for now, Margot pushed it away thinking to deal with it later after she’d solved an even bigger more important problem. “Tilly…. Are…are you claustrophobic?”

“No.” Her nervous best friend countered seeming to calm down just a little when Margot slipped back closer to her and away from the mouth of the little tent they’d made from the comforter on her bed. “I just don’t like feeling like I’m trapped back in that tower is all.”

That was a bit confusing, but Margot wasn’t about to push for any clarification at the moment. “Don’t” Tilly pleaded when she noticed her companion going to take down the side of the little nest of blankets beside her. “Just…” the blonde sighed seeming to struggle with her next words. “Will you hold me?”

Margot hadn’t been expecting that response, but she found herself scrambling over the small gap still left between them before her sluggish mind could form an actual word related answer wanting to do anything she could to get rid of that fearful look deep in her best friend’s sea blue eyes.

After all it was all her fault for causing this so why shouldn’t she fix it as well. Besides it wasn’t like she had made the offer intending to end up contently trapped under the sill mysterious headstrong blonde that smells alluringly like freshly baked bread and minty wild strawberries that had become so very important to the former wandering world traveler.

“Do you trust me?”

Margot wasn’t expecting the husky asked question thinking Tilly had fallen asleep a while ago have been lulled into a sleepy daze herself thanks to her calmer cuddling other blanket’s steady heartbeat against her chest and the low volume drown of the movie they had put on -The Wizard of Oz or maybe it was Peter Pan- that had kept playing around them. “Of course, I trust you.” She promised feeling brave enough to card her fingers in the wheat colored tresses brushing against her sides whenever Tilly nuzzled closer. Not for the first time since that first meeting Margot felt a kind of weird calm in the action that should be scaring the hell out of her for the amount of time they had truly know each other. But it was like she and her ’Almost Runaway’ best friend had been in a similar kind of position hundreds of times before tonight.

Something the bespectacled young woman was sure she would definitely remember about having the woman she was kind of definitely falling in love with cuddled against her like they were right now.

“Sanative?” Tilly hummed her eyes lifting from her work up to meet the other woman’s unfocused gaze feeling yet another shiver coursed over their intertwined bodies. “No. It just….it tickles.” Margot confessed in a shaky breath letting her other hand fumbled for the back of the closest pillow needing something to hold on to to keep from moving anymore under the stroking touch. “I’m almost finished.” Tilly promised in a low whisper making Margot squirm even more by blowing a few chilly breaths of air over her already hyperactive skin.

“And what are you two dears up to?” Zelena questioned dampening the mood considerably in leaning down to peer into the mouth of their little tent to check on the pair. The slight buzz from the drinks she and Regina consumed down in the bar and her own motherly curiosity overpowering the thought she might not want to know the answer.

“Don’t worry its only marker I can wash it off in the morning.” Margot confessed quickly when her mother’s hand closed around her wrist bringing her arm into a better light as her eyes like her aunts stayed trained on the image sitting along her forearm. “That’s…” her mother whispered as if Margot hadn’t spoken as her eyes bounced back and forth between the shield she’d let Tilly draw on her skin and over to her sniffling aunt. “His was a bit bigger and set a little lower but yeah.” Regina corrected in a shaking breath as her fingers traced along the lion outline.

Margot looked between them completely confused as to what or possibly who they were talking about while her relatives stared at the image on the shield as if the lion was about to rise up and take a swipe at them. “How much did you two have after we left?” the bar worker questioned with the hint of a teasing joke in her voice while she studied their faces and unfocused gazes.

“Three.” Zelena replied just as Regina committed with “four and a shot of water a piece.”

“But we just wanted to say goodnight again before we turned in.” Zelena hurried on before her daughter could say anything. “Night my little Picasso Robin…Night Alice.” As Regina gave a similarly hastened “Sorry for crashing your mini date night ladies. Night Alice. Goodnight Robin.” Before pulling her half-sister back out into the hall with a laughed “Could have been worse. Least this time they still had clothes on.” Comment as the door clicked closed.

Tilly didn’t say a word as she shut off the little DVD player and slid it out under the side of the outer blankets before climbed back into Margot’s lap “Curiouser and Curiouser huh.” Margot chuckled tucking the only spare blanket across Tilly’s shoulder as she settled in with her head pillowed against Margot’s shoulder.

“Yeah, your bosses are really weird.” Tilly yawned already snuggling in as close as she could get to the warmth Margot’s body offered.


	3. Dreams, Pickle Juice & Questions

_For the young huntress, it wasn't just about honing her skills at tracking and stalking in the last rays of a sunset or about being able to be the cause of bringing out her lover's more vulgar type language as she pleasures her the instant they get back to their tent. No for Robin these little games are more for those precious stolen moments she and the woman she loves more than her own life can just be two young women in love chasing each other around in the woods. For a few hours, she's not the namesake daughter of a heroic outlaw with a lion tattooed on his wrist and a literal (former) green-skinned Wicked Witch of a woman who is still considered one of the worse and still feared villain's in Storybrooke._

_During these nights of her giving her true love a ten-second head start before charging into the trees after her, she's just a young archer madly in love with her feisty true love. A young woman with eyes the color of the sea and hair like the first rays of morning sunshine and not just a woman forced to live half her life locked away in a high tower now free of said tower only to live with a curse keeping her and her father apart, or for her to be the courageous young woman who has outrun a Bandersnatch and who's seen more worlds than the archer could possibly imagine._

_"You caught me." Tilly giggled her blue eyes shining brighter than she had ever seen them since she'd pulled her back from walking out in front of that car. It was certainly the first time she'd seen her in a skirt and a rather form-fitting corset. Maybe she'd been reading Wonderland too often that she was mixing the wardrobe just a bit. "More like you caught me Tower Girl." Margot corrected not knowing why she was saying it, but she wasn't about to care when it produced her favorite beaming smile when her sneaky best friend managed to pin the archer underneath her._

Now if that blasted alarm would just stop blaring in her ears and pulling her from really enjoying the feel of Tilly's lips pressed against her own then everything would be perfect.

Her hand cast around blindly pushing the dream shattering thing as far away as she could but still keeping her Alice as close as possible wanting to keep that surprisingly still there feel of her dream girl's lips pressed against her throat for just a little while longer.

"Oh um…sss sorry." Tilly stammered as if she was just realizing what she was doing and hastily scooted away as soon as she realized Margot was awake. She knew should be feeling awkward at waking up to find her best friend wrapped in a vice-like grip against her side and quite possibly making out with her neck- honestly it felt like she may have even left a mark- but the only feeling Margot was left with was pure longing to make the tender moment last just a few more seconds. It was like she was acting on instinct Margot didn't really knew she had kicked in pulling the retreating blonde back in closer while she quickly dipped her head scraping her teeth along the cords of Tilly's throat in retaliation earning the smallest breath of a groan from the woman in her arms as she soothing the mark with a feather-light brush of her lips before releasing her completely to start hunting around for her glasses with a graveled laugh of "Now we're even."

"Anyone ever tell you you're a really good kisser?" Tilly questioned while her eyes watched Margot's every move as she fumbled for the sketch pad for some reason instead of moving out of the way of dark-haired blonde the still hunting for her glasses.

"Nope, so thanks for being the first." Margot smiled still pushing the weird dream she'd had involving her closest friend other than her mom and aunt to the back of her mind. "You're good at it too." She added not wanting to somehow wound Tilly's ego by not telling her just how nice her lips on her neck had felt so early in the morning.

"We should go check on your Mom and Aunt." Tilly reminded her glancing up quickly to meet her eyes then dropping them back down to the page she was sketching on still pink and flushed with the start of a visible mark on her throat from Margot's teeth. "Yeah." Margot nodded but couldn't will herself to move away from Tilly's flickering gaze as it seemed to ping-pong between meeting her eyes then falling back to the paper she was guarding against her lap.

"Will you be alright if I leave for a few minutes to go check on them?" Margot questioned remembering she still hadn't managed to track down her glasses yet and not for the first time did the young woman consider again about getting contacts. "I'll go with you," Tilly answered suddenly incredibly shy as she reached around her back for something. "But I think you'd want these back before we go." Margot bit back a laugh when she found her 'missing' glasses sitting in her friend's palm. "You are just full of surprises aren't you Tower Girl?"

The smallest flash of recognition sparked deep in Tilly's sea blue eyes at the nickname but just as soon as it appeared it seemed to vanish but not without bringing one of Margot's favorite joking yet challenging smiles to her friend's lips. "Maybe," Tilly commented leaning back in, so they were nose to nose in the makeshift tent of pillows and blankets. "Guess you'll just have to stick around and find out won't you Nobin?"

It took every bit of willpower Margot had not to just grab the front of her rumpled sleep shirt and pull her smug looking best friend into that last little breath of space between them and prove just how good of a kisser she really was. Margot rocked back onto her knees with an overly annoyed groan mostly directed at herself for the crazy reactions she was experiencing this morning. It wasn't like this was her first ever sleepover. Well, the first one that wasn't all hazy and hard to remember.

"Let's just go make sure my bosses are still functional after those shots they had last night," the part-time bar worker suggested pulling Tilly along with her as she crawled out of the warm nest that had once been her bed.

* * *

 "Come on just drink it please." Margot argued as she made an effort to ignore Tilly's muffled giggles from the direction of the stove while she wrestled yet again with her stubborn half awake and hungover aunt.

"What is it?" Regina questioned trying to stop seeing one glass revolving around another as she reached for the cup being offered to her. "Well, it's not the elixir of life." Was a joking answer but a closer one was a whispered: "It's to help with your head." From her niece yet when she looked up higher on the arm holding the glass out to her she was now eye to arm with an image she wouldn't think she would ever see again. Yes, there were slight differences between the tattoo her Robin had and the one she was looking at now but the sight still brought out a faster rhythm in the beat of her heart all the same as the former Evil Queen slowly dragged herself up to sit on the sofa rather than lay across it as she accepted the glass with a shaking hand.

"But what is it?" Zelena grumbled when a similar glass was pressed into her hand with what Margot noticed was the same lingering gaze on the marker tattoo she'd yet to wash off from the night before. But she'd always wanted a tattoo and Tilly had drawn it so well she wasn't going to just wash it off the first chance she had.

"Pickle juice." Was the joint answer just as both Zelena and Regina knocked back the liquid in the glasses in one gulp and almost spit it back out just as quickly. "It's supposed to help when you've had a bit too much." Tilly explained not meeting Margot's eyes after their echoed answer from before as she handed over the spatula she'd been twirling around her fingers before Margot could ask for it back. "And going by how you both were talking about us last night before we got you settled on the sofa you two really need all the help you can get." Margot continued not even caring if the little love bite Tilly had left on her throat was visible to her sobering relations.

"What are you talking about?" Zelena gasped sharing a straggly nervous glance with Regina as Tilly set a generous helping of eggs and a few slices toast in front of both of them leaving Margot to pass them both large glasses of water as they let them stew over the news longer.

"Why did you call her Robin and me Alice while you were in your cup last night?" Tilly elaborated resting her crossed arm on the counter as she leaned in closer to the dazed bar co-owners. "And don't make up some silly answer we want the truth." Margot added in pushing her glasses higher up her nose and not even caring when Tilly interlocked their hands together as she leaned in to wait for their answer.

"Because those are your real names. Robin Locksley Mills and Alice Jones. And the reason your both so comfortable with things like that." Zelena confessed nodding to Margot and Tilly's joint hands then pointed to the twin bite marks they'd left on the other's throat. "is because you share true love the rarest purest love there is but you don't remember right now because you're both under a cursed." The mother laid out in one long breath.

"Way to rip off the band-aid sis." Regina sighed wishing her water glass was something a bit stronger.


	4. Answers & Dates

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry in advance if this isn't what you all wanted it to be. I tried to do the best I could.

“Robin Locksley?? As in like Robin Hood?” Tilly gaped just as Margot asked, “Then who’s Tilly’s parents meant to be in this fairytale world you think we’re from? Wonderland and Davy Jones??” as she pushed the strange feeling of familiarity at the name of her legendary supposed father. It just had to be because of her dream nothing more.

“Been to more places than just Wonderland you know.” Tilly grumbled giving Zelena and Regina the slightest of hope that at least one of them would end up believing what they were about to tell them as the blonde seemed to be unaware that she was even talking as she slumped down in her chair as her head found it’s way to being pillowed against Margot’s shoulder as she nibbled at the slice of toast and jam her best friend had so kindly held out to her.

“Robin Hood was her father.” Regina nodded giving Margot another feeling of Deja vu while Zelena was hiding her laughter behind her hand picking absently at the plate of eggs and toast her daughter had set in front of her while the pain in her head eased a little more the more she ate. “Captain Hook and that woman you knew as Eloise Gardener but in our world, she went by Gothal.”

Despite giggling at who her father was supposed to be Tilly cringed at the other name “Monster.” She snarled but everyone at the table could hear the terrified break in her voice as if she expected the woman to melt out of the shadows at any moment.

The two former villains hated bringing such pain to the blonde again, they knew all too well that the subject of Alice’s mother was **_always_** a touchy one no matter the realm but in fairness, the girls had asked about who their parents were, and the cat was already out of the bag now. “As in the crazy mom front Tangled?” Margot clarified glaring over the top of her glasses at her mother and aunt for causing her best friend any kind of upset. “That’s who you're going with?” she scoffed running her fingers soothingly against Tilly’s back all but into her lap to get her to calm down, but the question only brought another hissed ‘monster.’ From the nervous woman in her arms.

“Basically.” Regina nodded hating that Zelena had chosen then to think about drinking every last drop of one of the water bottles her niece had set out for the two still hung-over women. “Bet Papa would look really wired with that plumed hat and garish mustache.” Tilly giggled from the safety of Margot’s arms “Well thankfully Rogers never seems to go for anything but the scruffy start of a face mop.” Zelena chuckled after swallowing the last bit of her scrambled eggs and taking another drink of water.

“But if Targo’s father is Robin Hood.” Tilly prompted leaning across the grounding circle of her friend’s arms around her waist but keeping her eyes on Zelena’s “that would make you Marian.”

The cringing hesitation the comment brought made the other two pause thinking they’d finally found the weak link in this strange story the two recovering bar owners were spinning but it was soon shaken off by a sly smile from a mother and a small cough of a laugh from an aunt after the two shared some kind of silent conversation in a single glance in the other’s direction.

“No dear I think you’ll find that I’m far more Wicked than noble if you go by my former reputation.” Zelena answered, “And my sister here would have a rather Evil one if you go by the stories.” Regina struggled not to cringe at the reminder of her former life, but she wasn’t about to deny any of it now. “Wicked…Evil?” Margot repeated looking at each of them in turn as she spoke. The pounding feeling in her head the conversation was creating wasn’t helping her mood. “As in the Wicked Witch and the Evil Queen?” Tilly summarized just as unconvinced when the other two nodded at their villainous titles.

The unexpected squeal of surprise broke the sudden tension as Margot stood up shaking her head in disbelief as her hand once again found its way into Tilly’s helping her friend up from where she’d slid off her lap and onto the floor at the suddenness of the movement. “This is all too much. I mean how can you just tell us both all this…. that we’re cursed…that you two are two of the cruelest hearted villains ever written and just aspect us to believe any of it?” she rambled angrier now than she had ever been since she’d met Tilly.

“Let’s get out of here.”

Margot didn’t fight the comforting pull on her hand leading her back to their room as the pain in her head flared up again the more she thought over everything her mom and aunt wanted them to believe. “Whatcha doing there Targo?” Alice hummed against her ear in that alluringly playful purr of hers as Robin fixed her quiver more securely against her back on the way back to the bedroom door. “I didn’t even know you knew how to golf, but I know a place close by if you want to shoot a few rounds.”

The teasing comment was left unanswered as the blushing blonde hastily shoved the clubs back into a far corner of her closet and grabbed her jacket instead like she’d meant to when she’d first opened the doors. “There’s a street carnival a few blocks over we could hide out there while Mom and Aunt Roni sleep the rest of whatever they drank last night off.” she offered knowing that would be a better way to spend their time together. Besides as far as she knew Alice still had never been to a real one and now was the perfect chance to show her another wonder that she'd missed locked away in that tower. 

“Do you think we could get candy apples there?” Tilly gasped her face lighting up like it was Christmas come early at Robin's shrug and whispered 'Possibly' as she held out her arms waiting for the inevitable eager leaping hug that happened seconds later with an excited chant of “Let’s go. Let’s go. Let’s go.” 

"Right behind you." the young archer smiled grabbing her loves backpack for her with a laughed "We'll be back later." to her mom and aunt. 


	5. Dating Games

She’d walked by that shopfront window half a dozen times before since she’d been back in town yet something about the conversation with her mom and her boss alcohol induced and crazy as it sounded had her pausing in front of the window now to really look at one thing, in particular, this time around.

“Don’t take too long.” The blonde prompted with a sly wink after the third time Margot had said it was alright if her hyperactive blonde to go on ahead to scout out the place for the best things to do. “and this means you get to get our apples Targo.” Tilly reminded her leaving Margot standing in the middle of the buzzing hyptown streets with a lovestruck smile on her lips but still debating with herself over if she was possibly overstepping her friendship with Tilly just by picking up a harmless looking necklace. After a good five minutes of quiet inward fighting and one headache later the thing was tucked safely into the pocket of Margot’s jacket as she sped down the block drown to the sights and sounds of carnival games and the wafting smells of deep-fried foods.

“You’re that crazy girl, aren’t you?” The bespectacled woman heard a growling joking voice taunt even over the chattering drone of the carnival and her own zoned out mind. Margot’s jaw clenched at the words nearly dropping the candy apples she’d picked up from one of the vendors when her gaze fell on that unmistakable blonde hair of her best friend at one of the closer games to the entrance of the carnival.

Tilly was doing her best to just ignore the three-person band of twenty-something age guys the leader of which seemed to be also trying to hit on the blonde as well as insulting her as Tilly headed off to yet another game deeper in the little park. “The stories said you were crazy not that you were also hot.”

Margot felt her jaw clench even more at the comment. “Hey back off jirkwads.” The newcomer snarled bringing a grateful smile from Tilly while the hint of something else burning in the few seconds their eyes locked as Margot forced her shoulder into the guy's side sending his stumbling backward into his snickering friends. “Can’t you see the lady isn’t interested? Or are you just incapable of seeing this is a rejection?”

“Well seeing as she hasn’t actually said anything to us I don’t see how it’s a rejection or really any of your concern. Besides who do you think you are four eyes her bodyguard?” The guy scoffed then paused as he really looked Margot over for the first time and obviously liking what he saw if him licking his lips was any indication.

“Oh, calling my love four eyes is that really the best you could come up with?” Tilly hissed stepping around Margot and surprising everyone by slamming the guy’s head down onto the flat of the gaming stall as if it were a bar top. “Now I think you owe her an apology.” Tilly growled twisting the guy's arm behind his back sending the other two with him a glare that had even Margot nervous about upsetting her farther and making the guys physical take several fast steps backward. “Get the hell off me crazy girl.”

Alice only scoffed at that tossing her wild hair back over her shoulder as she leaned down close to his ear “Only my friends can call me crazy and you are not even close to being one. Now give the lady an apology.”

“You didn’t take your meds today did you?” Margot guessed “Nope.” Tilly answered brightly making the last letter pop.

“I’m really super really sorry for call you that.” The boy related struggling in Tilly’s unyielding life. “Good lad.” Tilly praised letting the guy up and watched with a smug grin and a sly wink over at Margot as the trio jogged away. There was something in her eyes. A spark that hadn’t been there before deep in the blue that spoke something more as Tilly’s hand found Margot’s letting their now joined hand swing between them as if she hadn’t just had someone pined like a total badass.

Margot shook off her surprise pulling Tilly to a stop letting the blonde take one of the apples she had forgotten she was still holding. “What was that?”

“What was what?” Tilly asked taking a bit out of her treat letting out the smallest of groans at the taste “Don’t give me that Tower Girl.” Margot hissed dropping her voice to a low husky whisper that had Tilly shuddering with something other than fear.

“It’s what you would have done my love.” Tilly smiled leaning in to nuzzle her forehead against Margot’s tenderly her eyes casting back a forth from her lips to her eyes and back that had the bespectacled brunet’s heart speeding up just from the small action. “Let’s get out of here shall we?” her bubbly blonde suggested somehow finishing the candy apple in her other hand in seconds and twirling Margot’s out of her hand with only a small pout in quiet question “Nothing really fun here anyway. I know a better place for a date.”

Margot could only node in agreement “But only if you take this before you freeze Til.” The bartender scolded noticing how her girlfriend hadn’t thought to ask for her jacket from the pack Margot was still carrying for her to combat the dropping temperatures.

“Thanks.” Tilly smiled shyly sliding her arms into Margot’s jacket then immediately taking her hand again. “Come on Nobin.” The blonde prompted “Let’s go to Wonderland.”


	6. Lights, Watches, Wonderland

“Um…. What’s this?”

The question caught the daydreaming bartender off guard and making her panic for a half second once she remembered the purchase she’d made before heading to the park for the carnival. Not that she had to worry for long when her unfocused eyes found the thing in Tilly’s other hand now Margot was the one holding the half-eaten candy apple and the best friends were still swinging their joined hands together between them.

“I like to think of it like my good luck charm.” She shrugged a small smile crossing her lips at the sight of the watch Tilly was still inspecting in fascination. “I can’t remember how I got it and I think its broken cause once I could have sworn it started moving backwards as soon as I got off the plane coming home but after a full backward rotation during the bus ride back to the Hights it stopped again at the same time it’s always been stuck on, but I don’t see how 7:14 is that big of a deal time-wise, but I feel better knowing I have it with me wherever I go.” Margot admitted

“I do.” The blue-eyed blonde answered readily “That was the time you saved me from the car.” That had Margot slowing her steps a little thinking it all over. “Are you sure I thought it was later than that? But then again I was still running on jet lag and caffeine half the time before I pulled you into my life.”

Tilly blushed when the comment was ended with the softest brush of Margot’s lips against the back of her hand while they walked. “Must be the curse.” she laughed playfully nudging Margot’s side but was unable to shake that feeling she knew exactly how her girlfriend had gotten that backward working watch.

“Definitely the curse I mean how could a watch run backwards?” the brunet chuckled taking her watch back sliding it into her pants pocket.

“Wonderland.” Tilly answered readily while pressing a hand against her head with a whisper of a groan when the mention of that place made a whispering voice in her head get louder once she’d tossed the now finished apple into the closest trash can “Or maybe the Enchanted forest if you believe Mom and Roni about the magic thing there.” Margot nodded replacing her arm across Tilly’s shoulders hugging her against her side to give her something else to think about than the voices in her head. Little did she know it only made it worse. Not that Tilly was ever going to pass up a chance to cuddle against her maybe girlfriends side by admitting that fact.

It took another ten minutes of walking occasionally ducking down a side ally or giggling at each other while chasing the other across a rooftop that Tilly skidded to a stop with a wide smile and a proud as she nodded to a propped open window. “Time to fall down the rabbit hole Targo.”

Margot looked at her skeptically until Tilly groaned and pushed the window up enough to climb through it. “Isn’t this considered breaking and entering?” the bartender questioned

“Well you are the daughter of an outlaw and a supposed wicked witch, so a little law-bending should be a walk in the woods for you love.” Tilly mused with a playful wink over her shoulder. “And besides I’m roommates with a cop I think we’ll be alright.” She soothed with a shrug.

“Says the daughter of a pirate.” Margot joked following her ‘Almost Runaway’ into the abandoned building without a second thought. “Now, where are we??” she questioned looking around trying not to laugh at how smoothly Tilly was being with all this weird magic talk. She had to say it was kind of adorably attractive.

“This is just my little pet project. Something to keep me off the streets during my bad days.” Tilly answered from across the room before the clunk of a large switch being pulled filled the room.

Tilly waited sitting down in the middle of the walkway across from Margot letting her legs dangle over the side of the catwalk and her arms rest against the safety bar while the part-time bartender turned in a slow circle taking in all the different colors and patterns being painted onto the walls

“It’s a light garden.” Margot whispered her eyes casting around in amazement at the colorful blends the different colored light bulbs on both the ground and second floors cast each one highlighting a different painting Margot could see that Tilly had drawn on the walls of her little tower.

“Or as I like to think of it. Wonderland Hyperion Hights style.” Tilly smiled noticing with a pleased smile that Margot seemed drawn to one of her newest addition to her little collection.

“Funny thing is I call this one “Don’t Move Spy.” The blonde whispered dropping down onto the floor beside spaced out brunet. “Don’t really know why it just seems to fit.”

The image was an outlined sketch of an archer with her bow drawn with an arrow notched ready to fire. The hood was drawn up so only part of the face was showing but what was had a determined kind of concentration in her showing eye that seemed to shine even more in the warm glow of the lights.

Margot was almost expecting the arrow fire at any second the longer she looked at the unfinished sketch of herself or at least for her drawing self to let out that breath she seemed to be holding. “And yet you still moved on me even when I’d told you not to.” The brunet joked interlocking her fingers with Tilly’s.

“Well see I would if you’d ever hold me at arrow point and call me a spy Targo.” Tilly laughed leading Margot over to the little makeshift living room in the middle of the lights. “Now are you going to tell me what’s in this little box or am I just going to have to jealously glare at it until it magically opens somehow?”

Blinking in confusion Margot finally managed to pull her eyes away from the archer still watching them from the wall opposite them to find Tilly sitting with her legs crossed under her and the little box Margot had picked up at the little jewelry store downtown balanced on her knee.

“Oh yeah, I got that for you earlier today.” She blushed “I just didn’t know how to give it to you.”

Tilly grinned at her thoughtfulness spinning the box between her fingers “Mind checking your back pocket?” She prompted her eyes sparkling mischievously in the soft glow of the surrounding lights “cause I got you something too earlier today.”

“Together.” Margot challenged

“Together.” Tilly agreed her eyes never wavering from Margot’s as they scooted closer toward each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> http://screencapped.net/tv/onceuponatime/displayimage.php?album=1627&pid=1951933#top_display_media  
> The image that was the idea behind Tilly's drawing of the Archer ;)


	7. Baby Hit the Breaks

Tilly’s eyes were shining in unshed tears as she let the light catch the little heart shaped stone set into the simple smooth silver of the arrow’s head “Mine seems like it’s not enough compared to how beautiful this is.” her eyes slid over to Margot’s then dropped to her lap in defeat.

“I’m never going to take this off.” The bartender countered her fingers closing around the heart-shaped ruby stone now hanging around her neck. Margot could tell just by her tone that Tilly had been talking about a lot more than just the necklace she was holding like the most precious thing she’s ever been given. But hellfire, if she was going to let this become one of Tilly’s bad days when it had started out like such a good one. Well minus that weird conversation with her Mom and Aunt telling them they were all cursed story characters and that business of those guys trying and thankfully failing to hit on the beautiful blonde no matter that Tilly could take them all without any help from her.

“Hey, I love it.” Margot says truthfully just as Tilly finished rambling out “….and okay I might not have picked it up today like you did but I just didn’t know the best time to give it to you and I know you seem to like bracelets more but it’s weird it’s this just seemed to kind of just appeared when I was moving the last of my stuff to Rogers place and thought you’d like it.” bringing a smile from Margot as she tilted Tilly’s chin up to look into those blue eyes she had come to love so deeply in the short time they’ve known one another. “I’d love it anyway but because it’s from you I love it twice as much but not as much as I love you.”

Tilly’s eyes seem to bug out of her head at the confession, but Margot wasn’t about to take it back. “I love you Tilly and you don’t have to love me back but I just….I needed to tell…”

“I love you too Margot.” Tilly interrupted rolling up onto her knees across from the amazed brunette “I love you so much that half the time I can’t think of anything but you and the other times I’m already with you.” She blushed her eyes dropping shyly until she felt Margot’s arms looping around her waist hesitantly pulling her closer while Tilly eagerly started to close what little space there was left between them.

Margot felt a dark growl clawing out of her when the sound of her phone ringing out interrupted the perfect moment surrounded by the soft glow from all the different colored lights with her and Tilly just a breath away from having their first kiss.

“What?” the brunette snarled into the phone bringing a giggled groan from Tilly who instead of shrinking back at the show of anger curled closer against Margot’s side humming tunelessly to herself like this wasn’t anything new or frightening to her at all as she wrapped the hand not holding the phone to Margot’s ear around her own waist cocooning herself against the seething bartender’s side with a happy purr as the blonde stroked at the little arrow now nestled around her throat.

The sound seeming to have cooled some of Robin’s anger just to hear once again as the distracted archer pressed her face against the tickling mess of blond curls nestled against her shoulder calming herself in the minty strawberry uniqueness that was her lovers sent and her shampoo. “Sorry hello to you to Roni. Now, what do you want?” Margot asked shaking the strange thoughts out of her head but tightened her hold around Tilly all the same needing her closer to keep from chewing her boss out for messing up her first kiss with the self-described ‘Crazy’ girl that had stolen her heart.

“But you said last week that I could have the day off today.” Margot whined at Roni’s sudden insistence that she come in to work a.s. ten minutes ago. Her comment only producing a groaned huff from the other end of the phone and a low sad sigh from the blonde in her arms still toying with the arrow around her neck as her eyes found the unfinished sketch of her archer on the wall.

“Yeah, she’s still with me.”

Tilly tilted her head back meeting Margot’s confused and slightly worried glance down at her curiously. “Why didn’t he just call her earlier then if….?” The question was left half asked heightening Tilly’s interest even more. “Yeah that sounds like her.” her girlfriend chuckled nuzzling her face against Tilly’s hair. “Someone forgot to charge her phone.” Margot teased against her ear

“Why is Other Papa trying to call me or something?”

“How’d you know it was Weaver that wanted to talk?” Margot laughed but Tilly just shrugged in answer “And yeah he’s waiting for us back at the bar with Mom and Aunt Roni.” She added with a small pout while Tilly took the phone from her.

“We’ll be there in ten Roni don’t worry.”

“How do you plan to get back so fast fall down another rabbit hole?” Margot chuckled letting Tilly pull her up to her feet, but her girlfriend just shook her head “Nope but it all depends on one thing.”

Margot paused her head tilting to one side as she studies the blonde she’s still holding hands with. “Depends on what?”

“Do you trust me?” Tilly asked bluntly leading the still confused brunette over to a little storage closet.

***************

“Till….Tilly….. Baby hit the brrreeeaaakkksss!”

The sound of Margot’s loud warning however giggling and happy it might have been had the two bar owners racing to the door with a smirking Detective Weaver following behind all three reaching the door just in time to see a blur of colors as a fast coming bicycle came speeding down the sidewalk toward them with Margot in front sitting between the handlebars and the seat while behind her with her arms wound tightly around her sitting on the seat was a wild blend of blonde hair and red and black checkerboard flannel as Tilly tried to slow the speeding bike but a hard pull on the handlebars to try and compensate for the suddenly uneven ground outside the bar sent the pair toppling over to the ground in a laughing fit.

Regina automatically interlocked her fingers with her sisters feeling Zelena trembling beside her when the former Evil Queen remembering once where her sister had opened up about one of the first ‘dates’ she had ever had with Hades- regardless of the fact that it was also the first time she’d met the literal God of the Underworld- involving something similar to what she was seeing now between her niece and the woman that was Robin’s, unremembered true love.

“Hi, Mom. Hi Roni” Margot laughed still from the circle of Tilly’s arms “Hi-yah Weaver.” Tilly smiled not wanting the detective to feel left out as she and Margot untangle themselves from the overturned bike. “Good Afternoon ladies.” The detective answered giving the couple an approving kind of smile that had both Regina and Zelena stunned as Margot helped Tilly back to her feet.

“I’m afraid I’ll have to steal Tilly away for the rest of the day. Her particular skill set might just be what I need to crack this latest case I’m working.” He went on noting like the other three how the blonde seemed to perk up at the interlaced praise behind the tone as Tilly finished chaining her bike up beside the neat row of them outside the bar then immediately taking Margot’s hand once again.

The other three watched the pair exchange a disappointed glance but it’s kind of heartwarming to all three reformed villains that it seems the true love couple’s ability to have one of those quiet conversations in just a look had carried over to their cursed relationship. It ended with a small understanding node from Margot and a playful wink from Tilly as the pair wrapped their arms around each other for a departing hug.

“Stay safe Tower Girl.”

The nickname had the other stiffening exchanging worried and in Zelena’s case hopeful glances among themselves as Margot rocks back on her heels with her arms still draped around Tilly’s waist. “Don’t worry Targo I will but just stay out of trouble yourself.” The blonde promised bringing a tearful laugh from Zelena as the mother watched her daughter scoff at the idea as she hugged her girlfriend one more time then Tilly her go so she could go help her mother and aunt control the growing number of thirsty customers filling bar.

“That seems new.” Waver commented the second the door swung closed behind Regina. “Margot gave it to me.” Tilly explained falling into step with the detective as they crossed the street to his waiting car “And I don’t plan to ever take it off.” Her words trigger another found smile from her friend while Rumple thinks back to another time he heard them from the blonde whose eyes still lingered on the window across the street. “Of course, dearie.” He whispered pulling away from the curb.

Inside the bar, Regina and Zelena noticed how Margot started in on cleaning off the tables rather than head right to the bar as she normally would when the place was this packed. The faraway look in her eyes going unnoticed by both as the pair inspected the charm hanging around the daydreaming woman’s neck whenever she’d leaned over to scrub down a table.

“Hey, Roni.” Margot started coming back to the bar once the car carrying her girlfriend had driven too far away for her to keep watch.

“What is it Ro…. Margot?” Regina wondered splitting her focus between refilling a beer pitcher and listening to her niece’s question.

“Would you know where the closest archery range is from here?”

The resulting answer being angry grumbling by already over-served customers about wasting good beer and Margot needing to sweep up all the broken glass while Zelena dragged her crying sister into the back for the first aid kit and Kleenex for the both of them. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tilly's Necklace: https://shanodesigns.com/products/arrow-heart-pendant  
> Margot's Necklace: http://shoppingwithadam.com/shop/ruby-red-heart-necklace/


	8. The Feeling When Your Hearts about to Break

No matter how much she tried to think otherwise Margot couldn't shake that something was about to be seriously wrong. It was like a thousand ants crawling all over her with every passing second.

But after distracting herself with wondering why her Mom and Aunt were now all misty eyed when they'd meet her eyes over the bar top as she fills orders or grumbling to herself over another unwanted attempt to get her number by an over served twenty something man and by looking up archery ranges close to town on her phone during the few seconds she called her break the feeling came back again this time with a vengeance that had Margot scrolling in her texts for any new from Tilly and just ended up staring down at the new picture of the blonde grinning up at the camera cuddled up safe and happy against her side that she'd taken a few days ago to keep her out of control emotions in check.

"Don't make me take that phone away." Zelena threatened but Margot could tell by her tone that her mother was teasing "Your love is fine darling Weaver will make sure of it or he knows he'll have me to deal with."

"Me too." Her Aunt added with a smug smile as her hand rested on the baseball bat she kept under the bar. "Besides Captain one hand won't let anything happen to his little girl no matter what realm we're in…" Roni laughed but soon chocked it back seeing the annoyed look her sister was sending her. "What? It's the truth." The bartender pointed out as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Margot laughed at that sounding more upbeat since Tilly had left. "Oh, right cause Rogers is somehow her father that she's magically forgotten cause we're cursed right." She chuckled shaking her head as she finished setting a full bowl of bar snacks out as more people wandered in the door. "You two are really sticking with this crazy story huh?" the brunette wondered letting out a shallow breath when the sinking feeling in her chest seemed to lessen, yet her hand kept absently toying with her necklace in unspoken anxiety.

She just couldn't shake it but thankfully for the anxious woman the bar was filling fast as the afternoon rolled on letting her slip away to send her feisty blonde a simple  _'I know this makes me seem like an overprotective girlfriend already but seriously Till stay safe.'_  Text that Tilly answered back faster that Margot had expected but then again, the fast thinking brunette guessed that had to be thanks to Rogers doing than anyone else as her eyes skimmed over the series of heart emojis and a sly winking one along with a message of her own that Tilly had just sent her.

' _No, it makes you adorable my love. Honestly, it's like I can almost feel how worried you are from here, but you don't need to be I'll be fine babe promise it's just surveillance work anyways.'_

Margot was about to answer back when Tilly sent a fast  _'il_ _y Targo.'_   That the brunette assumed meant she should stop texting her and let her get back to work.

********

The bar was almost empty when the hazy quiet was broken by the sound of dropped boxes and pained cries came from the back room.

Zelena was the first to sprint to the back drawn in at once by her daughter’s scream leaving Regina to handle kicking everyone else out and closing up.

“Margot??” the russet red-haired mother questioned her fear growing with each step she took into the back of the bar. “Oh my God.” The former wicked witch gasped finding her daughter on the floor her glasses laying crooked on her nose as she curled up into a tighter ball one hand both pressing tightly and clawing painfully against her stomach while her other hand was pressed unmoving over her heart as if she couldn’t decide what hurt more.

“Margot?? Margot…..” Zelena pleaded rolling her shaking daughter over gingerly until she was lying on her back with her head pillowed against her mother’s lap. “Robin darling talk to me please,” she whispered pressing a kiss against her little girl’s forehead trying to see any kind of wound or blood stain from between the painting girl’s fingers now both clawing at and pressing insistently against her own abdomen in earnest. “Regina.” She screamed when her daughter refused to answer with anything over than labored breathing and painful whimpers through gritted teeth.

The former Evil Queen raced into the backroom a baseball bat raised and at the ready “What’s….” she started but Zelena only shook her head just as lost as her sister was about what was going on. “Tilly….” Margot interrupted grunted back the pain in her phantom wounds as she pushed her way back to her feet leaning heavily against her mother to keep her knees from buckling. “Alice.” She whispers her voice shakier this time but her face still a mask of pure pain.

“What the hell have you done to my daughter Dark One….” Zelena growled into her phone once a glance at the caller ID showed it was Weaver when she and Regina had managed to guide Margot into the front of the bar and over to one of the couches to get her to lay down. “Which one did they take her to?” she pressed making her sister pause in trying to get Margot to at least have some water to look over at her concerned and for her daughter to try once again to stand on her own.

“I’ll drive.” Zelena decided for them and for once Regina wasn’t about to argue with her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi readers. Honest opinion on this. Should I keep this chapter like it is or change it up and have Robin the one to get hurt??


	9. Thank Magic for Smartphones

Despite wanting to get to the hospital as fast as possible they’d made a stop first. Margot insisting on taking clothes for her girlfriend for when she was able to leave the hospital. Her hands shaking so badly as she took out the key Tilly had given her just a week before that Zelena had to take it and open the door for her.

Regina and Zelena paused in the doorway to the apartment letting Margot head in first and instantly heading to what they guessed was Tilly’s room.

Margot didn’t take long in her hunt and both women could see she was pushing her own feeling down when she came back out a few minutes later to find them waiting quietly for her in the apartments living room.

“That rabbit really had traveled to every realm imaginable.” Regina whispered to her sister nodding to the doll Margot had just pulled out of the backpack the blonde had left at the bar for Margot to keep an eye on for her and that the dark-haired blonde was now repacking with the small collection of clothes she’d laid out on the kitchen table along with the chess board and the sketchbook Tilly always seemed to carry around with her.

“Til says it’s the only thing she has left from her childhood,” Margot told them her voice strained as she cradled the rabbit against her chest. “She never goes anywhere without him actually. Her Dad gave it to her before….” She stopped shaking her head zipping the bag up and pulling the strap of it over her shoulder still hugging the bunny closer than ever.

Zelena wrapped her arms around her daughter who moved into the embrace willingly “That woman of yours is too stubborn to let something like this get her down for long.” The mother assured her talking against Margot’s hairline letting her little girl quietly cry against her shoulder “She’ll be fine in no time darling.” Zelena whispered resting her hand against Margot’s shoulder guiding her back to the door once they determined they had everything they needed.

“I hope so.” Margot answered her voice cracking stepping back out into the hallway letting Roni lock the door behind them.

*********

It was as if a switch as flipped in her as soon as the elevator door had opened.

“You.” Robin snarled spotting one of the reasons the love of her life had been put into that kind of situation in the first place. The reason she was now in the hospital with a gunshot wound from what should have been a simple surveillance job.

The detective didn’t have time to move away from the enraged archer advance realizing too late what she was about to do as he turned at the sound of her yell while Robin both felt and heard the satisfying crush of her fist connecting with his face making him groan out in pain stumbling backwards only to have Robin following him still punching every part of him she could reach “You were supposed to protect her.” Margot growled between blows as the one-handed detective her love thought of as a kind of father figure tried to defend himself from her assault with his prosthetics hand while holding his broken and bleeding nose with the other.

“Miss West ple….” Weaver started to say waving away the hospital staff moving in to try and help him contain her as his partner dropped to floor breathing hard but unfortunately for the detective now holding onto her Robin wasn’t even close to being finished dishing out her anger on the two men who should have been protecting her true love when she couldn’t and who had greatly failed at the task. “She was supposed to be safe with you.” Margot hissed her eyes burning in a green fire while she threw her elbow back as hard as she could into his chest while simultaneously slamming her head up against his when he stumbled back making him loosen his hold enough to let her twist in his grip to introduce her fist to his face just as hard as she had with Rogers and hearing a just as satisfying crunch of his nose breaking under her hand.

“Robin….errrm Margot that’s enough.” Zelena insisted as she and Roni caught up with the enraged archer before she could start in again and together the two women drug her a safe distance away from the downed detectives. “Mom Let Me Go.” The darker haired blonde growled still wrestling in her family’s restraining hold her fingers itched to have her bow, so she could just shoot them in the leg instead of simply beating them up.

“Is this really how Alic…. how Tilly would want you to behave?” Regina questioned guiding her niece over to a chair and pushed her down into it.

In truth, the two witches didn’t know whether to be more in awe of what just happened or to scold the girl for causing a scene in the middle of a hospital. Not that neither Zelena or Regina weren’t thinking about doing the same thing Margot had just done to both men regardless of their history both cursed and not.

Alice might not be as important to them as she was to Robin but both Mills women feel a strong pull to protect her as if they did.

Margot looked up about to argue back but her answers stopped in her throat as soon as she met her mother’s eyes. She relented with a fast shake of her head letting her hand close around the heart-shaped stone hanging around her neck as her mother took the seat beside her.

“How is she?” Zelena questioned without looking up from cleaning the last of the blood from her daughter’s trembling hand when Rogers came over to them his chin and the front of his shirt still stained with his own blood. “Detective Rogers I’m so so sorr…” Margot started in guilt layering her tone as she met his eyes, but Rogers held up his hand to stop her “I would have done the same thing lass besides I deserve it.” He reasoned wincing as he takes the seat on Margot’s other side a bringing the smallest hint of a laugh from the rust haired mother seeing the plaster cast he was now sporting.

“The bullets Tilly took were meant for me, but she pushed me out of the way.” Rogers elaborated his eyes still on Margot’s as he spoke wanting her to know what happened. “and actually, they shot her twice but thankfully the first shot missed its mark otherwise we’d be having a completely different conversation.” The officer explained pulling out the broken chain of the necklace Margot recognized at once. “Don’t ask me how but somehow this saved her.” Rogers said seeing how wide both Margot and Zelena’s eyes were at the caliber of the bullet now embedded in the arrow’s head.

“She’s still in surgery to remove the second shot she took last I heard.” Weaver added unintentionally answering Zelena’s question as he limped over to join them.

“Oh my God Weaver I…” Margot exclaimed her eyes filling with even more tears seeing the damage she’d done to the man Tilly considered a second father. But like Rogers, the detective brushed her away “You were defending the woman you love no one can fault you for that.” The elder man reasoned lowering himself into a chair across from the other three.

“Something amusing Kelly?” Weaver questioned noticing the more than amused smile spreading across his former student’s lips as she focused on something on her phone letting Margot and Roger talk in a low whispering voices. “Nothing…. I’m going to go help Reg…Roni find the cafeteria.” The former Wicked Witch exclaimed getting to her feet leaning over to press a comforting kiss against the top of her daughter’s head to avoid her former teachers probing eyes. “Hot chocolate extra cinnamon and whipped cream.” The mother promised with a wink to Margot as she hurried away and only when she was sure she was a corridor away did she stop and pull up the video Regina had sent her of the fight they had just witnessed watching it several more times while she wondered the halls until she could meet up with her sister.


	10. The Waiting Game

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mild bad language but only once so it shouldn't be too bad.

It felt like an eternity had passed before the doctors came to say Tilly was stable enough to be moved into her own room.

Weaver had slipped away an hour or so earlier with what was to Regina and Zelena at least an all too familiar impish smile on his lips when he said he was going back to the station to take care of the detainees once they’d all had time to digest that unlike Rogers earlier information Tilly had been shot three times the last two having been rapidly fired so that is hadn’t been until they’d opened her for surgery that they had found the remains of the pancaked third bullet.

“Pardon my language here but that girl is one hell of a God Damned survivor.” Her attending doctor had praised making both Margot and Roger’s insides twist when on top of everything else he’d admitted that during the operation Tilly had flatlined but somehow just as suddenly as her heart had stopped it had started right back up again with an even stronger beat than anyone the surgent had ever seen in her condition. “It was almost like she shocked herself back to life or something.” He mused in awe.

“She’s a special one.” Rogers agreed wondering why the comment about Tilly being a survivor struck such a cord with him. “But she’ll be alright once she wakes up right?” Margot insisted wondering why if Tilly was out of surgery and being moved to her own room then why where they still huddled up in the waiting room and not on their way to see her. “Medically she’ll be fine but there may be some lingering phycological scars she’ll have to handle.” The doctor answered

As if sensing that her daughter was about to either punch the guy in the jaw for keeping her from seeing her girlfriend any longer or pass out from all the stress of the day Zelena’s hand slipped into Margot’s keeping her grounded as the mother rounded on the medical man “But can they see her?” she gestured with her free hand toward her daughter and Rogers who had a hold on Margot’s other hand.

“Only family are al…..” the doctor started to say.

Zelena bit back a growl with difficulty pressed her fingers to the bridge of her nose in inpatients. “He’s her father and she and my daughter are more or less engaged. I think that counts as family.” The former Wicked Witch replied cutting him off before he could finish that family only talk pointing to Roger then Margot in turn once again as she stood up to her full height without dropping the man’s eyes and only letting the smallest of pleased smile grace her lips when her intimidation seemed to be working as the doctor hurriedly scrambled over to the desk to see which room Tilly had been moved into.

Thankfully Rogers had the good since to keep his mouth shut about the title while Margot just blushed and avoided everyone’s eyes at her own. “Mom it’s still a bit early for that.” She whispered sadly talking too low for the doctor to hear her. Zelena shrugged wrapping her arm around her little girl’s shoulders “Sshh Monkey.” She whispered pressing a kiss against the side of her head.

“Room 1421 on the third floor.” The man informed them just as Weaver returned with a rather pleased smile with Regina following close behind having been on the phone with Sabine explaining to the blonde’s boss why Tilly wouldn’t be into work for the next few weeks and taking calls from both Henry and Jacinda as to why in the world the bar was closed so early. All three vowing to join them at the hospital as soon as possible before they hung up.

She’d also just come back from her latest run to the vending machines in the latest hunt for anything her stubborn niece would be willing to at least try and eat since the trip to the cafeteria had come up a bust other than a small smile at the small cardboard cup of hot chocolate.

**********

“I will warn you.” The doctor said when the elevator doors opened “the patient has been put on a ventilator for the time being, but we’ll be taking her off of in a day or so depending on how quickly her injuries heal.”

“Her name it Tilly not ‘the patient’.” Margot snapped from her place now leaning reassuringly against her mother’s side as they filed into the elevator with herself, Zelena and Rogers on one side and the doctor, Regina and Weaver on the other.

Emotionally drained from the wait, unable to get any sleep since stepping into the hospital and more than a little hungry Margot wanted nothing more than to already be in Tilly’s room holding her hand and maybe scold her just a bit for being herself and wanting to protect everyone even if it put herself into harm’s way instead.

“Easy lass.” The detective soothed leaning over tentatively to take the younger woman’s free hand in his own. Rather than argue back Margot slid over against his side wrapping an arm around him in a hug both seemed to need at this point when the elevator finally stopped.

“We can find our own way from here.” Regina advised letting the others file out ahead of her as she held the doctor back. “Thanks.” She added trying to be polite and earning an understanding smile in return “It’s alright I get a lot of that sort of thing.” The doctor shrugged “1421.” He reminded her before the door slid closed after she’d stepped out.

From the look of things when the former Evil Queen stepped out into the corridor her niece was dragging both Rogers and Zelena along behind her to the end of the hall with fast determined strides and Regina knew without needing to see her face that Robin wasn’t looking at the numbers on the rooms to know what way to go.

Yet for all her bravado when Margot finally stopped outside Tilly’s room she didn’t know whether to break down outside it our kick it in  _then_ start to let her tears fall.

In the end, it was Zelena that entered first letting Rogers be the one to guide her daughter into the eerily still room. The only sounds being the steady beeping of the machines and now Margot’s shaking breathing as she stumbled on Roger’s leading arm toward Tilly’s bedside.

The other three stood guard Weaver by the door while Regina and Zelena took up seats on either side of the little window seat sofa everyone including Rogers knew would soon become Margot’s bed until Tilly was released.

Rogers pulled one of the softer backed chairs up to the bedside “You can keep holding her hand love, but I don’t want you hurting yourself by collapsing.” The cop whispered at the first touch of his hand against Margot’s shoulder earning a hard watery eyed glare from the bartender as Rogers gently pulled her away from hovering over Tilly’s prone form in the bed as the detective guided Margot to sit down before her knees gave out from shaking too much.

Only Weaver, Regina and Zelena seemed to notice that both times Margot’s hand had interlocked with Tilly’s that the unconscious blonde’s heartbeat had picked up to an even faster beat as Margot took the chair on one side while Rogers sat down on Tilly’s other side making her heart pick up just a little more while she slept when both insisted on holding her hand before even thinking of calming down their tangled rollercoaster ride of emotions about everything that’s happened.


	11. Waking Up in a New World

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The scene dialogue I quote doesn't belong to me its the work of the Once show I'm just borrowing for the purpose of this fanfic scene.

“This isn’t the first time I’ve had to live out of a backpack detective I’m alright. I promise. Now, will you go down to the cafeteria with Mom and the other for some semblance of breakfast please?”

Those were the first words Alice hears before the pain in her lower belly takes hold forcing her eyes open and a gargled cry of pain that she had to force out past the thing in her mouth that she pulled free in seconds-a thing Alice would later find out to be a breathing tube for the ventilator she’d been hooked up to after her surgery -while her other two roommates could only stare at her in shocked surprise.

Their shock was short lived however as Robin rushed to her bed to try a calm her down while Rogers rushed from the room to get a nurse.

“Tilly….Tils I know your hurting but you have to calm down okay?” Robin begged wanting to grab her wrist to keep her from clawing at her stitches but also not wanting to risk scaring her more when she remembered the doctors warning her about Tilly possibly reliving being shot after her surgery when the pain from her stitches hits her body for the first time that she wouldn’t know what she’s doing.

“But it hurts.” Alice whined one hand fisting with Robin’s while the other fisted in the sheets after another twist of pain in her stomach. “I’m right here Tils they’ll make it better soon I promise.” Her archer soothed when Rogers came back into the room along with several nurses as Margot brought their joined hands up to press a kiss against the back of Alice’s.

“She pulled it out herself.” Margot explained at the doctor’s look at the breathing tube resting in Alice’s lap. “I couldn’t breath with that thing in my mouth.” The blonde grunted holding onto her love’s hand tighter. “Deep breaths lass come on let’s get that heart rate down okay.” Rogers coxed ignoring the annoyed grunts from the nurses when he moved in to take Alice’s other hand “Papa No. You’ll get hurt.” Alice pleaded not wanting the curse on his heart to act up now she was awake.

“Sshh love.” Rogers whispered gently squeezing her hand in his own reassuringly “I’m alright Tils thanks to you but now you need to let me help you okay?” the detective suggested grudgingly stepping aside to let the doctor step in.

“Would you like some more pain medications Miss Rogers?” he asked making Alice nod and groan in answer. “Yes, sir.” She begged too out of it to correct that her last name was Jones.

“Tilly loosen that hold on Margot’s hand a bit.” Rogers advice noticed how the bartender’s fingers were almost purple in his surrogate daughter’s other hand. “She’s fine.” Margot waved away pressing another kiss against the back of Alice’s hand.

For wanting it to dull the pain Alice started to panic when the needle was pressing into her IV bag. “Easy Tils we’re not going anywhere.” Her Robin soothed rubbing little circles against the back of the blonde’s hand.

“Promise?” Alice mumbled her eyes already starting to close again as the medication started to take effect.

“I promise Tower Girl.” Margot vowed leaning over the bed to press a kiss against Alice’s forehead.

**********

_“…..They didn’t need words to express what they felt in their hearts…For it was here in the shadow of the Troll bridge that their love was born….”_

“Is that Henry’s book?”

Margot stopped reading abruptly at the question and had Alice been more than just a hazy semi-awakened state she would have groaned at the interruption even if it was the man she had come to see as a kind of second Papa doing it. “Huh?? Oh Yeah Lucy left it for us when she and Aunt Roni stopped in earlier after I told everyone that Tilly woke up however briefly. And actually, according to Roni, it’s the book Henry used for the inspiration of his book, so you could say this is the original ‘ _Once Upon a Time’_ ” Margot corrected stifling a yawn and the hasty flipping of pages also meant that she’d closed the book as well.

“Yes. I know.” Weaver chuckled his words followed by the soft scrap of a chair signaled him taking a seat beside her love. “Yeah. Well, I thought Til would like a break from my either re-reading a few chapters of Alice for her or another one of Robin Hoods legends. Besides I like the new idea about how Snow meets Charming.”

“Well not to take away from Snow and her Prince Charming but Rogers wanted me to drop this off for you.”

The smell of grill cheese was quickly flowing into Alice’s nose and making Robin’s stomach growl rather loudly beside her. “Sabine also added in some of the day’s beignets for you as well.” Weaver added, and Alice could tell just by his tone that he was smiling. “How about you have your super and I read to you both?” the older man offered “I brought my own actually.” He admitted after a beat and the rustling of both the book and the bag he’d brought with him.

“Her Handsome Hero?” Margot wondered eyeing the titled curiously pulling out her dinner. “Never heard of it before.” she admitted tossing the empty bag into the trash can without the need to look behind her to be sure it made it into the bin. 

“It’s an old favorite from a rather old library.” Weaver confessed opening the book and clearing this throat to begin reading.


	12. Two Puzzles One Box

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> long chapter

It was too quiet the next time Alice opened her eyes. The only sounds were the rhythmic beeping she knew from Tilly’s memories was her own heartbeat, the steady breathing of someone obviously asleep close by and the hum of a low volume tv.

“Easy.” A familiar yet sleepy voice suggested gently guiding the frazzled blonde into a more upright position while the other only awake person at her bedside was now helpfully bringing a water cup and a straw up to the blonde’s lips “Slow sips to start.” The motherly sounding tone instructed still rubbing little circles against her back as soon as Alice had fastened her lips around the straw to sooth the dry ache in her throat. “Good thinking on the water Luc.” The former villain praised earning a shy smile from the little girl now sitting on the edge of Alice’s bed.

“Where’s Robin? She was here earlier… she made the pain go away. Where is she now?” Alice rattled off once the dry sandpaper feeling in her throat had been dulled enough for her to speak. “What??” Alice asked after another drink that emptied the water cup Lucy was still holding for her when she got only surprised silence at her worry “Zelena where is Robin?” Alice asked again her wide eyes locked on her true love’s mother. Sure, they have had little contact even during the curse when they were Tilly and Kelly but surely the russet-haired woman could understand Alice’s worry over the safety of her daughter.

“Alice?” the pair asked together after sharing a look between themselves then gazed back at the blonde in the bed.

“Of course, Alice. Now where is my Nobin?” the blonde answered not knowing why she was talking in a low hiss like the other two when all she wanted was to scream at them to find out where her archer was. Angry tears were already falling from her eyes as she started pulling at all the wires holding her in the bed when her question still hadn’t been given an answer.

“Tower Girl.”

The nickname was like a whispered prayer to the blonde’s ears from the other side of her bed. Both calming and exciting her at the same time.

“Alice your stiches.” Zelena protected but her words were only met with pained groans as Alice moved over enough to take in the brunette lying cuddled up with a pillow on the cot pushed as close to her bedside as the machines crowing around the bed would allow.

“Seems her sleep talking hasn’t stopped just cause of the curse.” Alice commented hating the pull of the IV tubes keeping her from reaching over the side of the bed to run her hands in those darker blonde locks she loved and missed so much. “Seems like.” Zelena agreed helping Lucy down from the bed while eyeing the bandages around Alice’s stomach nervously given how much Alice was moving around in the last three minutes.

“I’ll go get you some more water Tilly.” The ten-year-old promised thinking both to give Alice and Robin’s mom time to talk and to give the girl time to give the happy alarm to Regina that yet another person from their world was awake.

The effect of the name was immediate and if she didn’t know that her daughter was all but dead to the world in sleep from the stress of the day Zelena would be worried over Margot waking up from the noise of the accelerating heart monitor right beside her little cot bed. “I’m not Tilly.” Alice spat wanting to pull her legs to her chest and cry at having all these new horrible memories in her head just at hearing what had been her name however long ago, but she also know that doing that would mess up her injury and make her stay in this horrible place longer than she’d like.

“But Alice that is who Robin….I mean who Margot thinks you are and Rogers as well.” Zelena reminded the blonde with bitter sadness in her voice.

“He’s fine just worried about you the last day and a half but physically he’s fine….well at least he is now his nose has been reset.” Both Alice and Lucy were about to ask why but Zelena hurried on not wanting to upset the now awakened blonde with that her true love did in a worried fit of anger to the two men Zelena knew were important to Alice one being her father and the other someone she thought of as a kind of second father and to keep Lucy from asking if that had anything to do with the video Regina had been showing her mother earlier in the day. “and when she wakes up she’ll be calling you that and when Rogers stops by later tonight he will as well until Regina and I can find a way of waking them both from the curse that won’t affect Henry.” Alice looked up at her confused so Zelena explained.

“My sister was forced to case this curse because Drizella poisoned him to force our hand. So, until we can cure him this curse is the only thing keeping him alive.” Alice winced at the information reaching out to grip the other woman’s hand in her own trying to give her some kind of reassurance despite how little time they have spent in each other’s company.

“Yeah, but it will hurt less when either of them calls me by that name.” Alice corrected her eyes once again falling on the sleeping brunette beside her bed now softly snoring into her pillow. “my life both as Alice and as….as Tilly has been better with them in it.” Zelena could sympathize in the hesitation her daughter’s girlfriend had at her cursed self’s name. All those memories of another life one seemed to mirror Emma’s in a way with growing up in the system then managing to not only survived by her wits on the streets of Seattle but more or less enjoy the brighter things in life along the way.

“I was invisible to everyone else, but Robin and Papa they noticed me. Robin pulled me out of the way of getting hit by a car when Tilly first met her.” Alice remembered fondly making the mother at her bedside cringe at the reminder of the encounter. Zelena smiled at the praise toward her sleeping daughter but had to bite back any more conversation when Lucy came back into the room with a full water pitcher in her hands followed by Tilly’s doctor and a nurse to check her stiches.

**********

Margot woke up just as they were leaving with Zelena stepping out with them to take a call from her sister leaving only Lucy who had busied herself with watching cartoons on the tv in the corner while the older brunette was blinking in slightly blurry confusion. “Hi, sleepy head.” Alice greeted with a wide smile not trusting herself in saying a name when those beautiful green eyes found hers as Margot pushed herself up with a refreshed sigh.

“Tilly.” Margot whispered forgetting her hunt for her glasses in favor of throwing herself over the short distances separating them but slowed once Alice’s increased heart rate reminded her where they were and made her make the hug she pulled the blonde into a gentle one. “Targo.” Alice answered in a low purr nuzzling her face against her archer’s shoulder inhaling that uniquely Robin scent of the deep woods that clung to her skin now mixed with the fresh aroma of baked bread and subtle hints of liquor that she’d come to recognize with Margot’s scent only to be pushed back with a hard punch to her shoulder that turned to immediately being pulled back in again so Alice’s surprised squeak at the action was muffled by the first kiss between Margot and Tilly and what was the first kiss between Alice and her still cursed true love after two years of separation.

Alice’s eyes stayed closed severing the feel of Robin’s lips back on her own after Margot had released her and retrieved her glasses so when the blonde finally did open her eyes it was to the shy blushing smile of her girlfriend’s cursed persona chewing on her lower lip. “You just kissed me.” Alice whispered in amazement touching her fingers to her still tingling lips. “You took three bullets for your friend without a second thought and I missed you. I think that deserves a kiss don’t you think?” Margot defended blushing a deeper pink as she sat down on the edge of the bed interlocking her fingers with Alice’s as she did so.

“What’s wrong?” Alice asked seeing the rather guilty look clouding her love’s eyes as they dropped to their joined hands. “I wanted you to hear this from me and not from someone else.” Margot started to say her eyes casting over toward Lucy who was Alice could tell was only pretending to be completely immersed in the cartoons on the tv screen to be listening in on what they were talking about. “But I kind of had a bad day while you were in surgery.” The bartender admitted her stormy green eyes downcast while she talked “She broke both Rogers and Weavers noses.” The ten-year-old announced without taking her eyes away from the tv screen.

“Lucy darling how about we go get these two something to snack on?” Zelena suggested throwing an understanding smile toward the bed. “Afternoon sleepy head.” She greeted her eyes on Margot while she ruffled her fingers in Lucy’s hair then pulling the younger girl out or the room.

“Did you really break both their noses?” Alice wondered not knowing is she should be more upset or amazed by the news as she tugged the woman she loved up onto the bed beside her. Margot’s blushed deepened when Alice cuddled up against her side, but she soon shook it off as she nodded “Roni even got it on video if you want to see it.” She laughed but Alice could tell she wasn’t the least bit happy about her actions.

“How about we go on an adventure to make your bad day a better one?” the blonde questioned toying with a few of the bracelets on Margot’s arm.

Tilly loved her stories to take her mind off a bad day. Loved falling into the sound of Margot’s voice when she talked sometimes rather animatedly about one of her adventures. Much like Alice remembered herself doing on more than once before the curse with Robin being the one listening in rapt attention to every word she’d tell the intrigued brunette about when she’d outrun a Bandersnatch or whatever else she was talking about from her time traveling the realms.

“Which one would you like to hear about this time?” Margot asked happy for the change in conversation and that Tilly didn’t seem that upset about what she’d done to the two men in her life she considered her father and at best a very overprotective grandfather.

“That time you went to the rainforest you said reminded you of Sherwood Forest.” Alice answered after a pause to think and to look over the many bracelets wrapped around the other woman’s arm. “More like it reminded me of what the Enchanted Forest would be like if we all really did live in a fairytale.” The brunette corrected settling in to start her story.


	13. The Guardian and the Imp Together Again

“And then you won’t believe what happened next.”

Rumple paused at the door staying well out of view of the two cuddled together in the hospital bed. He knew from Zelena that Alice was indeed awake, but he also knew that her memories as Tilly still lingered. It wasn’t that much of a guess she’d be bitter about him tricking her curse self into taking the pills that repressed the part of Alice that had been awake this whole time. Even when he could honestly say that he wasn’t entirely himself when he’d crushed them into her sandwich in the first place, but he doubted she’d believe him.

“Um….I don’t know.” Alice answered leaning her head against Margot’s shoulder comfortably, but Rumple could tell in that momentary drop in her voice that Alice knew he was outside the door. “the monkey stole your scrunchie?” she guessed that light tone coming back into her voice as she looked over at the brunette holding her. “How did you know??” Margot wondered in failed surprise at the right answer to the end of her latest story about her travels pretending that she hadn’t told this story to the blonde before. “Lucky guess.” Alice shrugged with a teasing wink. “Can I get up yet?” she wondered knowing it would be a perfectly reasonable way to get her girlfriend out of the room, so she could yell at then hug her fifth best friend- Robin, her Papa, Mr. Rabbit, and the Troll being in the top four spots.

As expected Margot nodded but didn’t move from her curled place around Alice’s side. “Where’s that nurse call button thing?” her adorable true love muttered keeping Alice tucked against her side while she looked around not knowing Alice was guiltily yet deliberately hiding it under the sheets on her other side keeping it out of Margot’s reach. “When was the last time you had something more than backpack food to eat?” Alice questioned when the brunette’s stomach growled in the middle of her search helping the blonde in formulating a way to keep her love away long enough for her and Rumple to have a proper talk.

“Last night, Rogers had Weaver bring me dinner, but I’m not hungry right now.” Margot answered avoiding Alice’s gaze, but the blonde could tell both from her own memories of her voice as well as Tilly’s that her love was lying without the help of her stomach growling again louder than before to prove her point. “Okay your not hungry.” Alice played along but both Margot and Rumple could tell that she was overplaying her part. “but I am and since technically I can’t leave the bed yet….” She tailed off giving the already grinning darker haired blonde spooning around her her best pleading puppy eyes.

“What would you like?” Margot laughed leaning in to press a kiss against Alice’s forehead letting out a proud smile when the monitor on the blonde’s heart picked up at the contact. “Surprise me.” Alice smiled trying to play off the spike in her heart rate.

“Onion rings and tapioca pudding, it is then.” Margot answered but even Weaver who was still standing guard out in the hall and couldn’t see her face when she came around to the other side of the bed closest to the door could hear the teasing break in her voice. “What?” the darker blonde asked innocently “Both of those things are gross, and you did say surprise you.” She reminded the now pouting blonde reaching out to tuck a stray strand of Alice’s hair back behind her ear making the woman in the bed have a flash of herself and Robin leaning in close when the archer had done a similar move just to steal one of Alice’s hairpins.

“True but now it’s not a surprise since you’ve already told me what my dinner will end up being.” Alice laughed leaning into the touch. “just don’t forget to get yourself something more than vending machine food on your way back to me.” She pleaded catching Margot’s hand holding it against her cheek for a few more seconds then turned to press a kiss against her knuckles just as she had in the short time she and Robin had together before the curse had ripped them apart and brought them to Hyperion Heights in the first place.

“Promise.” Margot whispered mimicking Alice’s kiss against her hand as she backed away from the bed without breaking her eyes from Alice’s. “Shi…. Oh….hi detective.” The bartender greeted in surprise having tripped over her own feet on her way out and would have fallen if Weaver hadn’t reached out at the last second to steady her.

Alice muffled a little laugh behind her hand at the pink blush creeping up Robin’s neck at the amused smile Rumple was giving her. “Miss West.” He nodded as if he hadn’t been listening in on her and Alice’s previous conversation releasing his hold on Margot’s arm as soon as he was sure she had steadied herself. “I’ll sit with her while your away.” He promised seeing the young woman’s flickering gaze back toward the quietly giggling blonde in the bed.

“Yeah…food run but I’ll be back soon.” Margot nodded sending Alice a childish glare once she realizes why her girlfriend was unsuccessfully muffling her laughter behind her hand as she takes in the scene. Rumple will pretend not to see the stuck out tongue the darker blonde gave her true love while readjusting her glasses against the bridge of her nose or the one Alice giver her in return before Margot departs.

**********

The blonde waited her arms crossed over her chest and a scowl on her face until the door had clicked closed and the curtain had been drawn around her bed preventing anyone from easily overhearing them. “Rumplestiltskin.” Alice greeted her tone a delicate mix of icy annoyance and genuine happiness at his presence. “Alice Jones.” The ‘Dark One’ answered stopping just a few steps from her bedside his one hand down at his side while the other was tucked into the pocket of his jacket.

The annoyance on Alice’s part only lasted three more heartbeats until she was holding her arms out to him like a child wanting a hug from a parent. A hug the ‘Dark One’ was all too willing to give out to the young woman he’d come to think of as a kind of adopted daughter in all their time together both before and after the curse.

“How could you do it?” Alice hiccupped letting her pent-up tears fall freely now Robin wasn’t around to see them. “How could you let them keep drugging me when I was remembering who I really was?” she elaborated keeping her arms wrapped around his middle as much as she could given she still had to be mindful of her still healing stitches but glaring teary-eyed up at him all the same.

Rumple let out a slow breath stroking his hand down her hair when she hides her face against his stomach to muffle her sobs as he thought over his words. “I thought it would be kinder to let Tilly and Margot bond as they did then to let you be as you are now with two lives in your head and a whole other person’s emotions to deal with while your love is still consciously unaware of the connection the two of you possess.” He answered. “Zelena has told me your Robin seemed to have experienced Tilly’s gunshot wounds as her own making them call in to your father and I wondering what was happening with you even before Roger or I could call them.” He elaborated when Alice peeked up at him confused as she wiped her eyes on the sleeve of her hospital gown. “And according to Rogers and Regina’s observations of her in the waiting room Margot may or may not have felt the momentary flicker of Tilly’s heart stopping on the operating table before yours started up again.” he added taking the chair beside the bed and taking Alice’s hand in his own.

“So, what does that mean? Is it cause the curse is weakening or something?” Alice questioned not trusting herself to hope when she remembered what could happen to Henry if the curse should break before they found some kind of cure. “But hang on Tilly isn’t dead she’s still in here.” Alice corrected tapping her temple with a finger “Just tucked away like I was during the curse or like how I should have been.” She finished in frustration when the start of a headache began to form behind her eyes.

Rumple gave a little smile shaking his head “It’s better, in the beginning, to avoid thinking too much on just who is in control and just go with that feel right in the moment.” He suggested remembering both times he’d woken up in the middle of a cursed town. “Alright then.” Alice grinned then unexpectedly swung back to punch him as hard as she could still being as connected to machines and hungry as she was but it was still hard enough to make the ‘Dark One’ stumble back in surprise. “That’s for trying to talk me out of going up with you so it might have been my Papa in this bed instead of me.” She growled in answer to his puzzled expression at the sudden attack.

“Tils lay off Weaver babe. Trust me I’ve already beat up on both him and Rogers enough for us both.” Margot sighed shouldering open the rest of the curtain around the bed. “They were out of tapioca, so you get Jell-O and they were out of every good flavor, so you get the blue kind but only if we can split it and I thought I’d go easy on you and get you grilled chicken strips with a side of vegetables instead of just getting you onion rings.” She explained setting the tray she was carrying down on the rolling table beside the bed.

“And what are you having dearie?” Rumple questioned before his ‘daughter’ could. “I’m eating like an outlaw hiding out in the woods tonight.” The world traveler grinned in pride bringing twin looks of surprise from the other two when a familiar aroma reached their noses.

“No, it’s just hospital cafeteria beef stew and a hard roll detective nothing too fancy.” Margot laughed gesturing to the other still covered dish on the tray she’d rolled over to Alice’s bed. “And I grabbed us each a water from the vending machines on the way back.” She pointed out nodding to the water bottles she’d managed to keep balanced along with everything else she’d managed to fit on the small cafeteria tray. “I even got one for you too.” She added pulling a third bottle from the pocket of her jacket and tossing it to Rumple with a small smile.

“I’ll leave you to your meals then ladies.” Rumple decided nodding on quiet thanks about the water while Margot settled in once she’d reclaimed her place on the bed beside Alice. “Thanks for coming by other Papa.” Alice blurted out not wanting him to leave with the last thing she did was punch him in the arm. “Of course, dearie.” The ‘Dark One’ smiled striding back over for a slightly awkward one-armed hug before departing. 


	14. A Poisoned Problem

The second the door as clicked shut his phone rang. A glance at the ID made him pause before answering. “Hello, dearie.” He greeted his voice low and cold.

“How is my daughter?” was the equally cold reply “I know you and those weak accuses for heroes have been keeping close watch or I would have come to visit her already.”

That brought a disgusted scoff from the detective “If they are so weak to you then why not walk in and take Alice?” Rumple questioned “All in due time.” Gothel answered in a bored kind of tone. “Besides you know what they say about Mother knowing what’s best for her little girl. I want Alice strong for what’s to come and the only way she will be is with that false security she has that so-called family and that pathetic excuse of an archer she cares so deeply for.” the witch of a woman went on.

“From what I’ve witnessed you don’t deserve that title in any sense of the word.” The Dark One spat spinning around to look into the little window set into the door at his back just to be sure the woman on the other end of the call hadn’t somehow gotten into the room. The window was closed but the curtain was open letting in the sunlight for a change that worried him even if Alice’s room didn’t have a clear view to be seen from the street below.

He could hear the rumbling of cars and shared sounds of ambulance sirens in the background of her call, so he knew Gothel had to be close by.

“Those idiots were only meant to shoot either you or her father. It was your fault putting her in the line of fire as you did. Thinking bringing her along would somehow goad me into revealing myself so you could take me into that cage of a jail.” Gothel hissed into his ear “and had I know the sheer power my little girl possessed I would have never left her all those years ago.” The plant lover corrected making even the Dark One shudder to hear.

In a land without magic Tilly had somehow thrown both himself and Rogers across the room to safety in the split second it had taken for Rumple and the blonde to realize the trap they had so foolishly walked into. Rogers hadn’t noticed the glowing hum of magic in Tilly’s palms seconds before the cops was knocked away from the window they were standing in front of into the sofa making it topple over giving them cover from the shots that would soon follow from the rooftop opposite their entry but Rumple had and somehow it seemed so had Gothel yet that hadn’t possessed her to stop her goons from putting three rounds in her own daughter’s chest.

Or a more chilling possibility was that the bullets had been some kind of test to see just how powerful Alice’s magic was? As if the twisted mother had been expecting Alice to just magickly push them away or destroy them or something? It would make sense after all and it would be a tactic his former villainous self wouldn’t have hesitated to use- only substituting an arrow shot for a gunshot- once upon a time but for now, Rumple didn’t know and for the first time since losing his beloved Belle the Dark One was afraid.

Only the muffled sound of his ‘daughters’ laughter and the sight of her grinning from ear to ear at something Margot had said as the pair finished off the Jell-O was enough to calm his nerves for the time being, yet he hated that Gothel could possibly hear the happy sounds as well.

“Mark my words ‘Dark One’ I will get my daughter away from you.” Gothel vowed in his ear “One way or another she will join me and take her rightful place to complete my coven.”

“We may be in a realm without magic dearie but even without it I can tell you nothing you can do will make Alice join you. You made sure of that the day you left her in that tower.” Rumple snarled into the phone more like Weaver than himself for the moment. “We have your lackeys and its only a matter of time before we bring you in.” he promised

That brought a cool laugh from the woman on the other end of the call “Oh Dark One you’ve spent too much time around those hero types if you think for one second I would let those fools go unpunished for going against my orders.” The sweetly purring tone sneered “You’re not the only one with friends in the shadows Rumpelstiltskin and while it did take longer than I had expected you won’t be getting anything more out of those two pathetic humans any time soon.”

Rumple glanced up to find Rogers half running half storming down the hall in a panic. “Look after my little Alice, won’t you?” Gothel whispered and Rumple could hear the smirk in her voice. “Tell her Mother will be seeing her soon.” She added before the line went dead.

“Ryce just called. They are dead both of them.” Rogers panted skidding to a stop beside his partner who was in the process of stowing his phone back into his jacket pocket after sending a quick text to the other two in their little band telling them to get back to the hospital “He said they told him it was just some sudden allergic reaction to the coffee we gave them this morning once we got them back to the station after they were patched up thanks to your little talk with them but if you ask me it looks to coincidence to be just that simple.” The detective rambled on filling his partner in on the latest update on their case.

“I’ve asked him to order a biochemical on them to check for just what they were poisoned with to be sure it didn’t come from here meaning that Tilly is still in danger from some kind I don’t know some weird food poison after everything she’s had to deal with, but it will take time to get the results back and that’s even if they allow us to do the test at all.”

“Speaking of how’s Tilly?” Rogers finished grateful when Weaver sidestepped so he could look in the little window as the couple now seeming to be playfully arguing over what to watch from the hospital’s list of movies. “Go be with her.” Weaver advised resting a hand on Rogers’s shoulder knowing that since the first time he’d dragged himself away from his daughter’s side Rogers’s had been working nonstop and hardly eating or sleeping in order to prove that Tilly had been nearly killed for nothing meaning that Alice had yet to have any real contact with her father since waking up from the curse.

“I’ve got the case and I’ll call when we have something.” He continued seeing both Regina and Zelena coming around the corner both pausing moving back out of sight at his little shake of the head.

It was only when Rogers had given a node in quiet agreement that the sisters came around the corner both the picture of ease, but Rumple could tell that as soon as Rogers was distracted they’d be down to business.

“Kels and I were on our way to check in on Tilly when Margot texted that they were in need of more Jell-O but that the cafeteria was closed.” Regina answered at Rogers question to what was in the bag she was carrying. “How about you and I go in and say hi while these two talk huh?” she added resting a hand against the detective’s arm reassuringly after sharing a node with her sister.


	15. Reunions

The curtain had been drawn again in the few seconds the window in the door had been unwatched making both Regina and Rogers pause wondering what they were walking in on. The low giggling over the even lower sounds of the hidden tv wasn’t helping much either as they tiptoed closer.

“If that‘s a doctor get out.” Margot’s voice growled exactly three softly taken steps in from the door “she’s fine just impatient to get up and only a little bit in pain but that’s only cause she insists on bending the rules on who get to hold who wise at the moment but get lost all the same you can talk to her later. If its Mom or Aunt Roni, or anyone else from my marry gang then you better be baring Jell-O and candy before you come any closer to this bed.” The world traveler backpaddled after a soft but teasing scolding of: “Just doing a job Targo don’t be so grumpy.” From her bedmate.

“Always the keen hearing huntress aren’t you little monkey lion.” Regina chuckled digging in one of the bags hanging on her wrist but finishing by bringing a finger to her lips to quiet any of the questions she could see in her companion’s eyes at the comment as she stepped up to the hanging cloth just long enough to set a single snack double cup, a spoon and a package of what Rogers could see to be a Ring Pop balanced on top into the waiting bracelet baring arm poking out from the other side of the curtain that had only appeared after a huffed groan of “I am not little Aunt Roni.” From Margot and a giggling bark of laughter from Alice. “God the look on your face right now love. So adorable.” Alice cooed adoringly making Margot scoff in mildly annoyed reply.

“Oh yeah, total score.” Margot exclaimed as Regina and Rogers took up seats as quietly as they could on the door side of the still drawn curtain they could hear Weaver and Kelly talking outside, but neither was listening hard enough at the moment to make out actual words being passed between them. “These are really good together. Like wickedly good.” They heard her explaining bringing back more of that bubbly laughter from the bedridden blonde.

“I always thought the most wickedly good thing was cinnamon and hot chocolate with extra whipped cream on top.” Alice mused making both Regina and Rogers share a matching head shaking grin. “Either that or candy on apples I can’t decide.” She backtracked after a beat in thought.

“I would think you’d have gone with a marmalade sandwich Tils.” Roger offered up breaking the unspoken agreement he had Roni had about staying quiet. “or just marmalade right from the jar given how much you like it, love.” He added with another laugh.

The steady beeping of the heart monitor sped up at the sound and going by the pained whimpers and whispered, “Easy baby please you’re still healing.” From Margot, the pair guessed the blonde was trying to twist around too fast for her injured body to cope with.

“No, you stay put Tower Girl I’ve got it.”

Regina stiffened at the nickname coming from her still cursed niece again yet that couldn’t stop the wide smile at the protective undertone behind it as Margot now sporting a dark gray ‘we’re all mad here’ tank top under her green plaid shirt and sweatpants came around from the other side of the bed fixing her braid so it was laying over her shoulder rather than down her back as if she was about to pick up her bow for target practice if she didn’t immediately fix her glasses as she gives both Regina and Rogers a shy greeting smile then went about pulling the curtain open.

Going by the stunned look Rogers guessed Tilly hadn’t thought he’d be sitting so close to the bed as Margot slid back up onto the bed now sitting as best she could beside Tilly’s knee while Rogers shifted pulling himself up both to get rid of the pins and needles feeling in his limbs and to move over closer to his room mate’s bedside.

“Yeah Tils.” He greeted his insides melting at the childlike look in those sky-blue eyes now locked on his own. while he fought down the pull to close the remaining space and wrap Tilly up in a hug never letting her go ever again.

“Papa.” Alice answered in a hoarse whisper. It was as if she was expecting him to be in pain or something given the growing worried look in her eyes the closer he came. But that was a question for another time Rogers decided thinking she was just remembering the last time she’d properly seen him in the seconds before she’d thrown herself in the line of fire to protect him.

“Get over here and hug her jerk.” Margot threatened her voice cracking as she quickly closed her eyes as if that would somehow make it impossible for those in the room to see her happy tears as well as hear them in her voice as the soft-spoken words break the quiet that had settled over the room at the little reunion.

Regina stepped in pulling her niece over to the sofa beside the window to wrap her up in a comforting hug leaving Rogers to take her place at Alice’s side and like Margot Rogers kicked off his boots and climbed up into the bed beside his still shaking daughter.

“I missed you Papa.” She sobbed latching onto him the instant he seemed settled quietly crying into his shirt while he rubbed her back in that fatherly way of his. “I’m right here Tilly.” The detective promised hugging her back just as tightly as he could while still being mindful of her condition “I’ve got you Starfish. You’re alright.” I murmured against her hair letting her cry herself out. He didn’t know where the nickname came from, but it just seemed to fit her as he cradled the scared young woman against his chest occasionally rocking her back and forth whenever her sobs became louder and her grip around his waist tightened.

“Now you get over here lass.” Rogers insisted bringing Alice out of her sleepy state with his soft-spoken suggestion. “Come on West there’s plenty of room.” The detective pointed out now incredibly grateful Weaver had insisted the hospital give Tilly a bigger bed while she was recovering when a glance over at the other two showed Margot seemed to be just as worked up over everything as Tilly was. “Come on love.” He purred when Margot just stubbornly shook her head and stayed curled up against her aunt.

“Please….. Nobin.” Alice hiccupped unable to properly turn around to meet Margot’s tear-filled eyes, but she didn’t need to with the pleading in her voice making her girlfriend trip over to her side in seconds. “Don’t call me that Tower Girl.” Margot answered with a broken laugh pressing a soft kiss against the blonde’s shoulder as she molded herself against Tilly’s back spooning around her like Rogers was on her other side both keeping her safe as she fell asleep between them while Regina quietly snapped a picture to send to Alice’s phone later on as the former villainess slipped out the door to see her sister and Rumpelstiltskin still locked in a tense whispered conversation just outside the door.

Regina hadn’t noticed in her hast to get to her sister that someone had slipped into the room behind her.

“Alright, Miss…..Rogers, I’m your new day nurse and I just need to….” The nurse started to say her nose buried in the chart as she stepped into the room making the three on the bed stir from a half-asleep haze at her approach.

The woman stopped dead in her tacks with a loud gasp in the small room her gray eyes fixed on the blonde’s blue ones.

“Tilly.”

“Hello, Alex,” Alice answered in hands finding and holding onto Margot’s for all she was worth. “Long time no see.”

Alex wasn’t in the mood for games all thought of her job forgotten as she held Alice’s gaze. “So just because we had a fight about how I used to work for Victoria Belfrey just gives you the right to suddenly take off on me no questions asked and hide out all this time?”

“I’m sorry who are you?” Margot questioned not moving an inch while on Tilly’s other side Rogers was carefully trying to untangle himself from Alice’s hold.

“I’m her fiancée. Who the hell are you?”


	16. Thieves & Jaws

"Say that again." Margot insisted trying to move away from the bed with her eyes still trained on the supposed new nurse. Alice could hear the distrust as clear as day in her voice as well as the bitter bite of barely held in anger. It was the anger more than anything that had the blonde redoubling her hold in the fingers still tightly interlocked with her own while her archer's burning eyes stayed locked on her target.

"Tilly is my fiancée." Alex repeated tossing her shorter hair back over her shoulder as if trying somehow to intimidate the archer. "And I can prove it." She added seeing that none in the room were believing her.

Both Alice and Margot gasped in united surprise at the ring the other woman brought out from under her work scrubs. The stone glittering even in the limited light of the space. Even Rogers was impressed by the thing, yet the style wasn't one he'd have guessed Tilly would have gone for.

The band was a simple one a silver arrow that had been twisted into a circle with a stone resting in the uneven space between the arrowhead and the feathered back but even from his vantage point he thought the stone had been replaced with something…the tiny shard of an old window pane maybe? And now that he thought about it that little sliver of clear crystal did seem to resemble the one he'd helped Robin break from the window glass that used to be above Alice's bed when she was still trapped in the tower before the troll destroyed it and freed his little girl….but what was it doing here?

"Give. Me. That. Now."

The growled words broke the strange feeling of remembrance Rogers felt over such a small thing as a sliver of window glass. He blinked himself back to the present to find Margot advancing on Alex wearing an eerily calm mask of indifference despite the threat in her voice and the clenched fists at her sides.

"Excuse me?" Alex scoffs dropping the ring letting it rest against her chest as she folds her arms in defiance. "Who even are you?" she asked looking the normally timid woman up and down with an uninterested huff when Margot's only response was to gesture for the ring this time while standing inches away from the shorter woman.

Green eyes stare unwavering into gray as the pulse on Alice's heart monitor picks up. The glare from Margot's glasses only seem to highlight the fire in her eyes in Rogers's opinion making the detective take several worried steps backward blindly reaching of for Tilly's hand as the tension in the room built to an even more dangerous level the longer the two-hold eye contact.

"I'm the one who's been by her side since she came here which was days ago. If you were really her fiancée you would have been the one pacing up and down the waiting room praying to whoever was listening that she would be alright, you would have been the one to punch out both Rogers and Weaver because you thought they should have been looking out for her instead of doing the job they are paid to do not me." Margot listed her face now inches away from Alex's "and I'm the one that made that ring for her. What have you ever done for her other than upset her?"

The confession brings another softer gasp from Alice as she tries to sort out in the tangled mess of memories when Robin had given it to her but coming up empty other than feeing Robin pressing something into her hand just before they were separated then Tilly finding the battered ring digging into her palm after waking up in her storage locker of an apartment with the little trinket fisted tightly in hand closest to her heart with the teacup held tightly in her other hand during what Alice now assumed was the start of the curse. She'd worn it on the same chain Alex was now wearing up until it had somehow vanished the only time Tilly had foolishly taken it off for a shower after a long muddy night of undercover work for Weaver while she was crashing for the night at Alex's place.

"and I can tell you right now that promise of a future together wasn't meant for you." Margot was saying her low speaking voice yet to change from that sinisterly calm she'd inherited from her mother and aunt as her hand closed around her prize pulling it non to gently from around the woman's throat just as Alice had pulled herself back into the conversation having now realized that Tilly's ex had taken the last gift her Robin had given her on the very night her cursed self had broken up with her causing Tilly to storm out before she'd even realized the theft had happened.

"Give that…" Alex started to say but her words broke off when Margot's fist connected hard with her jaw also sending Alex back into the chair Regina had so recently been sitting in as she recoiled from the force of the blow.

Rogers may have written off the pulsing glow of Margot's still closed fist as he moved to help the fallen woman up to just a trick of both the fluorescent lights as well as the now glaring brightness of the sunlight from the open windows but Alice and the other three just entering the room as the other two walked out all knew exactly what it was.

"That felt…." Margot paused thinking it over as the trembling numbness in her hands cooled as she looked between her mother, her aunt, Weaver and Tilly a wide goofy grin spreading over her lips as she reclaimed her place yet again by Alice's side. "Absolutely Wicked."


	17. Purest Kind of Love

Twenty-two seconds and at least half a dozen channel flips. Alice mentally counted while trying to distract herself from staring for too long at the woman propped up on the now raised sleeping cot beside her with the remote in one hand while holding her hand with the other needing the connection as she hunted for something else to watch. Twenty-two seconds, half a dozen channels and more than a few glances each between the closed door, Margot’s smugly pleased yet still adorably goofy grin, the ring now rightly restored hanging on a new chain around Alice’s neck next to the bullet-ridden arrow Margot had given back to her as well and each other.

“On top of mess up nape cuddle time after Rogers finally came to his scenes and came close enough to her to give her a hug by just barging in like she owned the place instead of just working here that woman stole from my girlfriend and…”

Margot paused in her explanation to the questions no doubt rattling around in the other three’s head as she glanced over at Alice or rather at Tilly for confirmation that the blonde gave with a small guilty node. “And she broke her heart I’m guessing in that same night.” Another guilty node from Alice because in some tiny way Tilly had cared deeply about Alex. Not as much as she did for Margot or how Alice feels for Robin, but the feelings of compassion were still there and the pain of the impromptu break up was still raw to Alice’s emotions rather than Tilly’s. “so, I think a fist to the jaw is the nicest thing I could have given her.” Margot finished pressing a soothing kiss against the back of Alice’s hand no doubt picking up on the inner conflict in her eyes.

No one spoke. Each knowing she was right once they remembered the rift of low simmering jealousy Robin and Alex had over the other's relationship with Alice that seemed to have carried over from their world into this one.

“Looked to me like you might have broken that woman’s jaw while you were at it.” Regina pointed out taking a tensive seat on the end of Alice’s bed. “Again, she broke the heart of the woman I love I don’t think Rogers will hold it against me for too long.” Her niece answered stopping the channel hunt on one of Tilly’s favorite movies.

The room quieted once again the five of them watching the movie on and off as they waited for Rogers to come back. “I’m going to go for a vitamin water anyone want anything?” Zelena wondered picking one of the more tolerable of Kelly’s favorite drinks to give her a reason to leave the room when the detective didn’t return in a reasonable amount of time.

“Animal crackers please.” Alice and Margot said together without looking away from the little tv screen as the latter continued quietly singing along to the song against Alice’s ear “I haven't had a million dreams but my last hundred have all been about you Tils. All of them good ones now I know you're okay.” She promised when the song ended, and her mother exited the room quickly followed by Regina while Weaver went back to reading the blue bound book he’d brought earlier.

The sisters didn’t have to go far to find Rogers already on his way back down the hall with an amused scowl on his face. “Mind making a run to the cafeteria with me detective?” the bar owner wondered at his approach earning a grin and a node from Rogers and an amused wink from her sister who slipped away without much fuss in the direction of the hallway vending machine. “My pleasure Roni.” He answered even offering his arm to her like the gentlemen he was.

“Also remind me not to get on your niece’s bad side. The doctor says she broke that woman’s jaw in six different places with that one hit.” Rogers told her in a low whisper and she could tell just from his voice that he was torn between humor and concern. “They won’t press charges just yet but once Alex is finished getting her jaw wired shut it's up in the air.” He shrugged as they walked.

“That girl has her father’s strength and her mothers temper.” Regina confessed honestly knowing ever Zelena would agree with her on this. “I’ve seen you with that bat of yours that temper isn’t just from her mother it from you as well.” the cop corrected with a teasing laugh when Regina shoved his shoulder in mild annoyance and rolled her eyes. “That’s not a bad thing considering who’s still out in the open Roni.” Rogers continued pulling them to a stop “I’m glad Tilly has someone like Margot in her corner looking out for her.”

Regina nodded resting her head against the detective’s jacket clad shoulder “That is something that will never change no matter what happens. She loves her and Al….Tilly loves her.”

“True love if I’ve ever seen it in the real world.” Rogers agree talking against Regina’s hair as her arms wound around his waist as they started walking again. “The purest kind of love.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the movie they are watching is the 'The Greatest Showman'


	18. Roses

It was Margot that spotted it that new addition to the room sitting on the side table that hadn’t been there when had accompanied Tilly to her last therapy session before the hospital would finally release her. It was rather pretty assortment with the different shades of green of the rose petals even under the harsh hospital lighting.

“Someone’s trying to steal my thunder.” She grumbled bringing a light giggle from Tilly that only grew louder when she noticed Margot’s pouting expression. “What are you talking about?” Tilly asked obviously not noticing the flowery fragrance in the room yet while Margot walked with her over to the side of the bed to let her girlfriend rest a little while after that last round of therapy.

Apparently, even when Alex had been transferred to another part of the hospital or was still on leave by now she still had contacts to leave this parting gift here. Not that Margot was keeping an eye out for her or anything on her walks with her girlfriend up and down the hospital hallways or out in the little park behind the building for some fresh air.

Tilly’s adorable smile faded some when she followed the other woman’s pointing fingers to the flowers at her bedside. Margot didn’t think she should be as happy as she was at the change. What she wasn’t ready for was Tilly ripping up the card that bears her name that had been leaning against the vase unopened then hurled the vase across the room in the same second sending glass shards, water splashes, and rose petals flying as it hit the wall.

“Tilly.”

Rogers must have heard the noise sending him running into the room to Margot pulling Tilly into a tight hug one that Alice was more than willing to melt into hiding angry tears against her girlfriend’s shoulder. She could feel Margot shrugging her shoulders while her hand rubbed calming circles against her back her other hand cradling the back of Alice’s head with gentle fingers, but Alice didn’t want to move to ask why. Must be answering her Papa’s question of why such pretty flowers were laying about the floor.

“So, I’m guessing you don’t want anymore flowers huh?” Margot asked pressing a soft kiss against the top of Tilly’s head while her girlfriend’s breathing calmed. “Not from her I don’t.” Alice answered her voice muffled by Margot’s shirt. She knew as soon as she’d seen the handwriting on the envelope who had sent the gift. As if a vase of flowers can make up for every horrible thing she’s done in Alice’s life including putting Tilly in the hospital even if her being here did finally wake Alice up. Alice was just thankful that even as Tilly she still had the good sense to steer clear of the monster woman.

“I’ll clean that up you two start packing everything up okay.” Rogers suggested he and Margot choosing not to ask who Tilly was talking about but unlike her original theory Margot was rethinking that the sender was Alex. “The sooner we get out of here the better.” Rogers whispered almost to himself while he started collecting the flowers among the glass shards.

Margot waited until Rogers was gone from the room again to get a broom and dustpan for the broken glass before tentatively saying. “I got you something.” Alice looked up pausing in the act of placing Mr. Rabbit back into Tilly’s backpack instead hugging her closest friend against her stomach as she meets her girlfriend’s eyes “Can I give it to you?” Margot asked waiting for a node from Alice before moving. “I thought about getting you another bracelet.” Margot said conversationally as she rounded the end of the bed to take a set beside Tilly who’d sunk down to take a seat on the cot she’d been sleeping on since the blonde had been moved to her room “But you already have a souvenir of this little adventure.” She continued her eyes moving to the pendent hanging around Alice’s neck. “I would have turned one of the other ones into a charm for a bracelet of my own, so we could have a weird kind of couple thing, but Weaver said those were evidence so no luck.” She added with a small breath of a laugh that Alice joined in on moving to sit cross-legged across from the woman she loved.

“I’ve taken care of that already.” Alice admitted reaching out for Margot’s hand on the arm that didn’t already have several bracelets to add another one to her girlfriend’s collection. “I had Reg…I had Roni work her magic to get it for me.” Alice says fixing the clasp against Margot’s pulse point letting it dangle from the other woman’s wrist before dropping her hands back to her lap.

The band was a smaller copy of the braided one Robin had given her that day outside her cottage that Margot had thoughtfully returned to her on their first date at the book shop. The two sides of the bracelet were held together by an arrow again a smaller version of the one Alice was wearing around her neck. “Beautiful.” Margot whispered echoing Tilly’s words at the bar.

Alice gave Robin’s cursed self a shy smile hiding her face against the top of Mr. Rabbit’s head at the whispered “My turn.” Margot breathed tucking a stray strand of hair behind Alice’s ear just as Rogers returned from his hunt the pleased exclamation he’d been wanting to say stalling when he noticed the rather intimate moment he was walking in on.

The little flick of her wrist was one Alice knew well and had the pair still been in the Enchanted Forest Alice would think it was Robin somehow doing magic. Now, however she knew it was just Margot using Robin’s sleight of hand to her advantage much like Tilly would to bring a soft giggle to Margot’s lips every once and a while when they were out on a date.

“A pretty flower for a beautiful woman.” Margot smiled tucking the small stim of the flower into Tilly’s hair only to have the curious blonde twirling the flower back out to get a look at it. Rogers had long since departed after the last of the glass had been cleared away to return the cleaning supplies to where he’d borrowed them leaving the two alone again. “If that were true then you should be wearing a flower too.” Alice pointed out her eyes lifting from the flower blossom to Robin’s eyes hating that the glare of Margot’s glasses got in the way.

Robin’s giggling laughter was interrupted by the ring on her phone. “Sorry.” She whispered pushing her glasses higher up her nose as she pulled the device out of her pocket. “It’s Roni.” She said her eyes flickering to Alice’s. “Answer it love.”

Margot sighed pressing a kiss against Alice’s forehead before she picked up the call and stood up from the cot with a puzzled “What’s up Roni?” as she headed to the door after throwing Alice another guilty look.

Alice exhaled slowly looking around the room before twisting the flower back in her hair and getting back to packing up the rest of her and Margot’s things before Robin and her Papa came back for her. The task wasn’t as difficult as she’d thought with Robin momentarily out of the room preventing a distraction so in no time at all Alice was back sitting with her legs tucked under her with Mr. Rabbit balanced against her knee and the flower Margot had given her cradled in her hands.

“Love and Peace.” A voice laughed breaking the happy bubble Alice had fallen into the longer she inhaled the sweet smell from the flower blossom. “Your little friend must care for you deeply to give you such a flower.” Alice had to bite down on the inside of her cheek to keep from cursing at the other woman sauntering into what had been for the past week her room. “The flower your holding the coloring signifies two friends falling in love.”

“What of it.” Alice asked trying to act more like Tilly than herself as she tucked the delicate rose blossom against Mr. Rabbit’s lap in her backpack and out of the monster woman’s reach.

“Did you not like _my_ gift little flower?” Gothel pouted seeing the broken flowers laying forgotten on the side table.

Alice didn’t know what she wanted to do more. Punch the woman in the jaw or strong arm her head first out the window of her hospital room.

“Alice.” Gothel purred her eyes sparking as they held her daughter’s.

“I believe you should leave now dearie.”

Alice had never been more pleased to see the ‘Dark One’ not even as Tilly than she was when Rumpelstiltskin seemed to melt out of the shadows behind her smirking ‘mother’ his gun already drawn and pointing at the odler woman before Alice could think of any way to answer other than following Margot’s lead and break Gothel’s jaw or at the very least her nose. Rather than argue like she’d thought she would Gothel just gave Alice another eerily pleased smile before departing with a confident “Mother will see you again little flower very soon.”

“Detective Weaver.” Margot greeted surprised when she reentered the room giving the exiting woman in the hospital scrubs a puzzled look. “Who was that?” she asked trying to think of why the woman should be familiar to her.

“She’s no one love,” Alice says sharing a glance with Weaver “What did Reg…Roni want?” she asked taking the flower out of her bag to replace it in her hair as she slung her backpack over her shoulder.

Margot was still looking at the door at the question blinking several times before shaking whatever thought she had out of her head to answer. “We’re planning to take you out tonight just to celebrate you getting out of this white-walled tower.” Robin laughed making Alice’s heart skip a beat “Is that okay?” she asked misreading Alice’s silence while Rogers turned up to get the last of the girl’s bags to finish loading up the car.

“I think we’ve deserved a night out.” Rumple agreed sending Alice a sideways wink and an impish half smile.


	19. Dinning Disasters

It wasn’t until it was over that Alice laughed at herself for thinking that Gothel would give her just one night of freedom to go out to a mildly nice dinner with her family and the woman she loved. How she had tracked them down was another mystery Alice wasn’t in the mood to think about other than guessing that like Rumple her witch of a so-called mother had eyes everywhere in the Hight’s.

One second they are all sitting around the table waiting on their drinks while trying to decide what they were going to order and the next Alice was knocked sideways out of her seat Margot somehow maneuvering over her enough to shield her from the brunt of the attack leaving her covered in what Alice could tell from the flash of it before they were falling was some sickly sweet power as the chair toppled backward sending both women onto the ground.

Rogers and Rumpel along with some of the braver souls in the restaurant had Alex wrestled to the ground seconds later but the damage was already done.

“Make it stop.” Margot begged just as Zelena tried to calm her daughter that an ambulance was already on its way. “Make what stop monkey?” Zelena wondered like Alice and Regina thinking she meant somehow tone down the sound of the impressive struggle Alex was putting up across from them.

“Please, Tilly make it stop.” Margot tried again her hand fisting with Alice’s as her eyes closed tighter.

“It’s going to be alright Ro…Margot the ambulance is already on its way. Everything will be better soon.” Regina jumped in but again Margot shook her head batting away Zelena’s hand stroking her hair “Someone make it stop.” She begged more tears leaking from the corners of her eyes only for her to rub her still closed eyes with the back of her free hand scrubbing the tears away only for more to fall. “God it burns.”

“Zelena you and Alice go with her I’ll make sure the fire starter lives past the night.” Regina decided seeing the medics barging into the room “She’ll be alright Alice.” Zelena whispered more to reassure herself than Alice at the moment yet her words only managing to confuse Margot even more while she listened in on the low spoken conversation to have something to think about other than the fire in her eyes.

“I promise you Nobin. I will make her suffer for hurting you.” Tilly whispered her voice breaking while Margot was lifted onto a stretcher “Don’t leave me.” Margot begged reaching out blindly for her girlfriend’s hand not really caring what she means but was still touched at the vow behind the threat. “Never.” Tilly promised pressing her lips against the back of Margot’s hand smoothly keeping pace with the hurrying stretcher with Zelena not far behind them all of them ignoring the broken words Alex was trying to say about Margot stealing Tilly away from her.

******

“You.”

Both Rogers and Weaver looked up at the growled word one of them expecting a punch to the face like the last time an upset West had said it while the other only smiled at the surprising restraint his former student had as she glared down on the still struggling woman they had finally managed to handcuff.

“Unfortunately, we need her conscious Roni.” Rumple reminded her his eyes going to Rogers while the cursed pirate shoved Alex none to gently into a chair to start questioning her about exactly what she’d thrown into Margot’s face or even how she had found them after they’d left the hospital that morning.

“How do you think Gothel’s manipulating this one?” Regina questioned fisting her hands against her crossed arms while the sounds of the ambulance sirens faded.

Rumple shrugged his shoulders going over to see if there was even the smallest trace of the green substance left anywhere around Alice’s overturned chair. “But whatever it is we have to assume Gothel has engineered it to drive Alice to her.” Regina bit back a curse at the re-minder choosing to go over to Rogers when she noticed the cope was letting his emotions get the better of him the longer Alex refused to answer his questions.

“Rogers how about you let Weaver and I take a crack at her while you call in a team then go be with Ali….Tilly. I’m sure she’ll be needing your support.” Regina suggested with a sly half-smile when Alex’s eyes widened at the sound of her voice. She was pleased when Rogers didn’t resist too much on her offer his pone already in his hand barking orders to someone back at the station just as he had captained his ship not noticing the wide-eyed look of fear Alex gave him at his agreeing node to the idea.

“Ryce will be here in five. I’ll call you when I know anything about Margot if you’re not there already.” The cop says not caring that by leaving he’s risking losing his job yet couldn’t begin to really care when he remembered the look on Tilly’s face after the attack. “Thanks Rogers.” Regina smiled pulling the smirking cop in for a much needed on both sides hug.


	20. Chapter 20

“The one time I wear my contacts for a night out on the town huh?” Margot laughed trying to lighten the mood while the doctor wrapped the gauze around her head keeping the little bandages against her eyes in place. “Hey least at Halloween next year I won’t have to have such a hard time deciding what to be.” She adds when he steps away from her bedside saying he was going to go see if the initial test results they had run were back yet, but like before her words were met with the same uneasy quite broken only by mingled breathing the sounds of pacing feet and two people uneasily shifting in their chairs on either side of her bed.

One of them was Rogers she could tell from his aftershave but who was on her other side was a bit trickier to tell apart at the moment.

“What do you think babe I’ll be Daredevil, and you can be my blonde Elektra?” Margot wondered turning her head in what she hoped would be in Tilly’s direction.

“This won’t last until then love I promise you that.”

Margot felt color growing in her cheeks at her mother’s low chuckle while Tilly’s voice came from the end of the bed. “Detective would you mind going down the hall for a coffee with me?” the question puzzled the blinded woman but wasn’t unwelcome seeing as even without her eyes Margot could tell Tilly was headed into one of the worst bad days since they had gotten together.

“I’m fine.” Tilly snapped at Rogers’s soft question of if she wanted anything.

“On second thought how about, you and I take a turn down to the cafeteria.” Margot flinched when her mothers’ words didn’t come as a question no matter how tender they seemed. “I’m not leaving her.” Tilly answered with an edge to her voice that Margot hadn’t heard before but seemed to pull at something in her hazy memory of before she left the Heights for her trip around the world. “I’ll be alright Tils.” Margot tried to assure her, but she doesn’t think it works hearing Rogers shift to get out of his chair or maybe he was moving his chair closer at the moment Margot didn’t really care all she wanted was to at least hear Tilly laugh again seeing as she couldn’t see her smile anymore.

No. She can’t think like that. She is going to stay as positive as she could about getting her sight back.

For Tilly and her mom’s sake at the very least until the tests were back and proved her right that this was just temporary.

“I said I’m not going, and I mean it.” Tilly yelled having worked herself into a bad state while Margot was having her own inner musings about what could happen once the tests come back.

“Mom, Detective Rogers can you give us a minute?” Margot asked making sure her tone is soft despite the worry she could tell was making her heart beat just a bit faster than normal.

“Of course, lass.”

“We’ll be back soon.”

The pair answered Margot didn’t fight when she felt her mother leaning over to press a little kiss against her forehead. “Two double dark cocoa hot chocolates with a few extra dashes of cinnamon and chocolate sprinkles on top please.” Margot says when she pulls away looking over to where she hopes for the second time that Tilly was standing. “Want anything Tils?” she asks with what she hopes is a teasing half smile.

The ‘No’ Tilly answers with cuts more than it should but at least this time Margot seems to be ‘looking’ in the right direction. Tilly must have taken her mother’s place at her bedside her voice was closer than before “Sorry love.” Tilly murmurs her tone softer than before at Margot’s wince at the coldness in her voice but she won’t take the hand Margot slides her way bringing a wounded pout from the recently blinded woman.

“Take a breath please.” She hears her mother whisper to someone she assumes to be Tilly “We’ll make her pay Alice I promise you but for now just be with her and keep your head okay?” the low spoken words were harder for Margot to hear. “We’ll check with the doctors about those tests as well.” Rogers adds in

Margot waits until the door at least swings closed before tugging the bed sheet aside swinging her legs over the side of the bed as well before Tilly could do more than sputter a nervous stream of “What are you doing?” “Should I get a nurse?” “The pain medication should still be working is it not?” “Do you need the restroom or something?” Margot only smiled at the questions reaching out until she felt Tilly’s hand brush against her searching fingers, but Margot thinks the touch was more to steady her when she took a step away from the bed.

“The burn is getting manageable now thanks to those meds they gave me but my eyes still ich like crazy.” The traveler answers earning a grumbled “I’m going to kill her.” from Tilly. “Hey,” Margot says her voice now mirroring Tilly’s in a way as Margot lets her girlfriend guide her back to the bedside and back into the bed while she was at it “Don’t ‘Hey’ me Nobin that witch took your sight how else and I’m supposed to react to this?”

“Do what my mom asked and take a breath for one?” Margot suggested choosing not to ask about the weird name Tilly used. Again, she didn’t need her eyes to see that Tilly was thinking of reasons for her to remain on edge and alert as if she was worried Alex was going to come in any second for a second attack. “Get up here.” The surprised gasp only made Margot set her jaw in an annoyed tick that triggered another softer purr from the other woman, but Margot stopped the smug smile from spreading across her lips as she pushed herself up, so she was sitting with her legs crossed under her patting the space in front of her impatiently. “Come on.” She said patting the bed spared again.

It takes a few seconds more of hesitation on Tilly’s part before Margot hears the sounds of what she guessed was Tilly’s shoes hitting the floor before the bed dipped in front of her making her hold out her arms and letting out a little smile when instead of more distance Tilly crawled into the circle of her arms then carefully turning around to press her back against Margot’s front letting Margot loop her arms around her waist.

“You know something?” Margot mused pressing her lips against the side of her girlfriend’s head “What?” Tilly asked tucking the blanket back around them getting comfortable without caring about getting told off by a doctor or one of the nurses. “We almost have all three monkeys.” Margot said triggering a puzzled “Monkeys?” from Tilly so Margot explained, “Yeah you know I broke Alex’s jaw, she blinded me now all we need is someone to lose their hearing and we’ll have a triple threat.” She giggled

“Trust me we’ve already lost enough as it is without anyone losing the ability to hear.” Alice defended still trying to keep from crying as she gingerly snuggled back into Margot’s hold. “Oh, right that curse Mom and Aunt Roni told us about.” Margot nodded after some thought not realizing the pained look that flashed across Alice’s face at the laughter in her voice. “I almost forgot about that actually.” She confessed pressing another soft kiss against the side of Tilly’s head.

“I don’t want to think about the curse right now please.” Alice begged not wanting to think about what kind of magic her mother had used to control Alex into doing her bidding let alone what that monster could have mixed from things from this magicless world with whatever magic Alice just knew she had managed to smuggle over to hurt the woman she loved any more than she already had. “Tils you’re shivering.” Margot noted hugging onto her tighter much to Alice’s delight as the dame inside her burst as she hides her face in Margot’s shoulder while Robin’s cured self cradles her letting Alice cry herself out giving the softest of whispers when her sobs border on hysterics coxing Alice back to a normal breathing pattern without moving from their huddled place in the other’s arms tangled as they were in the small hospital bed.

That’s how officer Ryce found them slipping quietly into the hospital room deep in conversation on his phone while making sure as to not wake either one resting on the bed as he talked. “I tried everything I could without revealing what I know but Weaver said he was handling her transfer personally this time. No, I don’t think they suspect but it looked like the girl is coming around.” He advised hauling himself into one of the uncomfortable plastic chairs in the corner of the room. “At the hospital.” He paused listening “No it was just as you intended.” The scoffed _‘so predictable’_ earning a low chuckle in agreement before the call clicked off leaving the officer to his watch.


	21. Mother Knows Best

“Why can’t I just wait for her at the station?”

She hears the grunted grumbling the cop at her side tries to cover as he guides her down the sidewalk. “How am I supposed to know what goes on in that girl’s head?” he questions reminding Margot yet again as to why she didn’t really like officer Ryce very much.

It had been a full week since the incident with Alex and Margot’s eyesight had yet to return. The doctors were at a loss as to just what had been used to blind her while Weaver, Roni, her Mom, and Tilly all seemed to know something they did not. Not that any of them opened up about what they knew whenever Margot would ask.

“I promise love we’re working on a cure but if we get it wrong it could end up making things worse.” Tilly would say pressing a kiss against her hand, and Margot can hear the heartbreak in her voice each time along with something else. She can’t put her finger on just what it is but somehow Tilly’s voice had changed since she woke up. Like she really is a completely new woman as she’d joked until Margot was attacked.

Rather than give her a straight answer Ryce pulls a little too hard on her arm making Margot trip over a step up in the curb she hadn’t know was there “A little warning.” She grumbles pushing her sunglasses higher up her nose as they started walking again only for Margot to be the one pulling them to a stop with a scowl once she realizes where they are. “You could have just said she wanted to meet up outside the flower shop on the corner across from the coffee shop I could have gotten here myself.”

Since the accident, Tilly had hardly left Margot’s side. Not that Margot minded too much about the extra time she and her girlfriend spent together and thankfully Sabine was more than willing to let Tilly off on a kind of sick leave so she wouldn’t have to worry about her job when or even if she wanted it back but the healing bartender just couldn’t shake the feeling that Tilly was keeping something from her.

“Are you going in or are you just going to stand outside the place all afternoon?” Ryce questions sounding very much like a man looking for something better to do with his afternoon.

“Now now officer is that any way to talk to a lady?”

If it hadn’t been for the voice, she would have sworn Tilly had just arrived given the calming fragrance of baked bread, and something else that Margot couldn’t put her finger on but just seemed to naturally associate with her girlfriend washed over her.

“I see no reason to yell at this poor woman.”

Again, the voice seems to pull at her memory despite only hearing it a hand full of times before. Too bad Margot just couldn’t remember why she recognized it or why she suddenly felt such blinding hatred toward the owner as a much lighter touch brushed against her arm.

“I think I can manage guiding the young lady the rest of the way.”

“Thanks, but I’m just waiting here to meet up with a friend.” Margot says taking another breath of those calming scents to keep from lashing out at the much larger man standing beside them while also wishing she still had something of her sight to properly slap what she could guess was a bored look from Ryce’s face. For the life of her she just couldn’t figure out why it always seemed that the cop didn’t like how her girlfriend hung around the station and however unintentionally the circumstances he seemed more upset than most when the times when something would happen it turned out in recent outcomes to be because of something Tilly was connected with.

Margot lets out a grateful sigh as soon as the cop decides to take the kind woman up on the offer. “And when you see her remind Tils about our date please?” she added already familiar enough with his stride to know Ryce was about to walk away. “Sure.” The desk clerk answers and Margot can picture him shrug her reminder off like it was one of the growing stacks of paperwork she knew was waiting on the cop’s desk when he got back to the station.

“You’re lucky I stopped by. I’m just about to open the shop as it happens.”

“Would it be alright if I waited inside Ms.?” Margot stopped not knowing the woman’s name as she rubbed her hand against her arm when for some reason the temperature seemed to drop several degrees since the shop owner arrived.

“You can call me Elie if you like. Now come in before you catch your death.” She scolds her hand once going to a loose hold against Margot’s arm to be sure she didn’t run into anything.

“Margot.” The blinded woman answers with a shy smile.

The scents are strong when they cross the door but it’s more of the strangely homey kind that washes over the young woman making her pause to take another deeper breath of her surroundings. “Have we somehow stepped into a forest or something?”

“It’s more of a grove of sorts but you could call it a forest yes.” Elie says leading Margot to what turned out to be a bench, so she could sit down. “Really? I could have sworn this was some kind of minter city forest or something.” Margot comments taking another breath of what was at one time the scent of home.

She could picture it behind her eyes. The trees on all sides of her while she stars up at what she can see of the clouds overhead. The forest seems quiet for once, but she kept her bow laying just within easy reach if she’d need it. Now if only Alice were here it would be absolutely perfect.

“You know they say a person’s sense of smell is more important than the mind at storing memories.” Elie says conversationally braking into the relaxing scene playing out in Margot’s head.

Really, it’s the first real actual peace she’s had since Alex blinded her and her new friend just had to spoil it.

“That’s why I find flowers so soothing….don’t you?” the soft laughter after the question remind the listening woman so much of her girlfriend’s that for a moment she would have sworn the two were mother and daughter. “Might I ask what happened either your sight?” honestly it was as if Elie could read her mind in her way of picking just the right moment to derail Margot’s thoughts with some other ones.

“My girlfriend’s ex thought it would be good to blind me to get even for when I recently broke her jaw.” Margot shrugs starting to get worried over why Tilly hadn’t shown up for their date yet. Maybe she should call her just to check on if she was okay?

“How long have you been without….” Elie seems to be moving around as she asks this “Oh sorry can you hold onto this for me please?” the kind tone asks as what Margot guesses from the scent is some kind of flower

“Almost two weeks.” Margot admits bringing the sweet-smelling blossom to her nose for a sniff. Again, her thought strayed to Tilly. She really wishes her girlfriend were here. She really seems to like fresh flowers.

“Mind if I take a shot at getting you your sight back?” Elie muses

“If they really have tried everything then surely nothing I do will matter very much.”

Something in at the back of her mind yells at her to say no immediately yet what she says is “Sure worth a shot.” Sure, it had only been two weeks without her sight and she seemed to be adjusting alright, but she really missed actually seeing the self-described crazy girl that had stolen her heart in more than a memory of her sweet smiling face or less enjoyable to think about that mask of fear that she’d last seen as she pushed her out of the way.

“Okay, I’ll have to do this like eye drops if that’s alright.”

Margot blinked in surprise thinking that whatever Elie wanted to try would have taken longer to make up. “Okay.” She answers sliding down in her seat. “Don’t you trust me?” the older woman jokes.

That little voice in her head screamed for her to say she’d never trust her after what she’d done. “Of course, I trust you.” Margot answers after another calming breath of the forest to settle her nerves.

Whatever she used was cold, to say the least but at least the lingering itch from the burning Margot still feels dulls “Okay I need you to blink a few times for me then we need to do this again just to be sure it took.”

Margot does as she told blinking slowly three times before another few drops of coldness hit her eyes. “One last time for me.”

It started with a stinging from the harsh lights of the shop over their head the scent of the woods replaced with the fragrances of the local flower shop but soon the light dimed into a more manageable state that Margot trusted enough to open her eyes after some gentle coxing from….

“Get the hell away from me witch.” Margot snarls moving as far away from the monster woman as possible in the short row of potted flowers of the shop.

Gothel chuckles at the greeting folding her arms over her front as she looks over the angry young woman that stole her daughter’s heart. “I’d say calling me a witch if hardly the thank you I deserve seeing as I’ve just restored your sight for you.” She points out seeing the internal battle in the other woman’s eyes as they look at one another.

She had to admit using so much magic around the still cursed archer could possibly risk Robin waking up before everything thing was ready yet Gothel couldn’t let go of the amusement at seeing the flicker of confusion and anger flickering across Margot’s face before settling into a neutral mask as her eyes move around to the shelves of colorful flowers testing out her newly restored sight.

“This isn’t just a dream, right?” Margot asks

Gothel shakes her head reaching out to purposely pinch Robin’s arm to prove it to her the act succeeding in bringing tears to the other woman’s eyes.

“Ssshhh. Ssshhh its alright.” Elie consoled letting Margot wrap her arms around her as she cried happy tears into the other woman’s shoulder in gratitude. “Mother’s here.” The elder woman promises not that Margot cared very much about the title. At the moment besides the thought of how surprised Tilly was going to be all Margot could think of was how any girl would be lucky to have such an amazing healer for a mother.

“Mother’s got you,” Elie says smoothing down the crying woman’s hair just like her own mother would have. “Now.” She says when Margot was happy cried out taking a handkerchief out of her pocket to whip away the last of her tears “How about you go tell that lucky young woman of yours the good news?”

Margot nods heading to the door “Actually while I’m here would you….” She asks looking at the closest row of potted plants.

“For something like this I’d suggest a red, orange, and yellow,” Elie says already pulling the flowers in question for her when Margot gives her a curious look at the colors she explains “love, passion and a new beginning a good mix if I do say so myself.”

Margot grins following her new friend to the checkout counter “No I get that its just you haven’t said the price yet.” She corrects but Elie shakes her head “How about you pick out a ribbon, so we can wrap them together.” Elie says waving to the display behind the register. “light blue please.” Margot answers without looking at the options. It wasn’t hard to guess the change in her favorite color from green to blue when at the moment the only thing on her mind was a certain blonde who was now late in meeting up for their lunch date.

What Margot just couldn’t work out was the reason officer Ryce would have lied to her about Tilly changing the meeting spot without just calling Margot herself to tell her.

If she hadn’t been looking in Robin’s direction at the time, Gothel would have rolled her eyes at just how easy it was to get the archer to play right into her hands. “How about a trade.”

“A trade?”

Elie nodes letting out a rather wicked smile grace her lips as she cuts the ends of the roses while Margot works on tying them together. “I may need someone to run the shop for a while in the next few days so….”

“Deal.” Margot agrees holding out her hand to shake on it only for Elie to hand over her flowers instead.

“Perfect.”

*******

“Don’t you think I’d have tried her phone by now.” Tilly was asking seeming to punch the front door out of her way as she led the way back into the bar leaving Roni and Kelly trailing after her both tense at setting the panicked blonde off any more.

Margot bites her lip to hide her smile at the surprise on her girlfriend’s face as their eyes met across the bar. “Sorry I got a bit sidetracked.” She admitted ashamed at being the cause of almost causing of possibly triggering one of Tilly’s bad days. “Can I at least try to make it up to you?” she asks hopefully as she gestures to the table she’s set up for another chance at their dinner date complete with the three roses Elie gave her in the center between the two already food-filled plates.

“You got sidetracked?” her mother repeats disbelieving as Tilly speeds over to wrap Margot up in a much-welcomed hug and more than a few kisses as well and Roni goes behind the bar for two glasses one for what turns out to be whiskey for herself and another for what would be an apple martini for her sister.

“I got my sight back.” Margot says keeping her arms tightly wound around Tilly’s waist letting her girlfriend snuggle in against her side.

Given the statement, anyone else would think she’d just confessed to murder at the reactions it caused the other three yet before any of them could speak another voice interrupted.

“Knock knock.”

“Oh, Hey.” Margot greets seeming to be the only one to miss the way her aunt grabbed for the baseball bat under the bar while her mother chose a more direct weapon in one of the steak knives they kept in the back room while Alice is too stunned at the sight of her mother to move as the witch lets the door swing closed behind her.

“You left this back at the shop.” Gothel says holding out Margot’s jacket with a less than believable innocent expression.

“Great now get the hell out of my bar.” Roni orders moving around the side of the bar as she and her sister both moved to keep themselves between the witch and the newly reunited couple.

Margot scoffed at the anger in her aunt’s voice pressing a tender kiss against Tilly’s forehead as she untangled herself temporarily from her girlfriend’s hold to go get her jacket. “If it wasn’t for her, I wouldn’t be able to see.”

“She was the reason you lost your sight in the first-place monkey.” Zelena corrects the heat in her voice almost palpable as the two mothers stared one another down.

“No Mom Alex is the reason for that, not Elie.” Margot corrected the defensive angry undertone reminding Zelena of the first time she’d had to face when Gothel twisted her daughter against her.

Roni grumbles at that this time going through with pulling out the bat from under the bar. “Last chance. Get out on your own or we make you get out.” She threatened swinging the bat around in her hand.

“Alright enough.” Margot orders stepping between them once again turning her annoyance on the pair beside the bar. “I don’t know what the heck is going on with you two right now but it better stop right now. You can’t just go around threatening people for no reason.” She points out crossing her arms over her chest “And if you bringing up that silly curse stuff I’m going to scream.” She adds after seeing a look pass between her mother and her aunt.

“Right now, this has nothing to do with the curse this is purely I don’t want that witch in my bar.” Regina says honestly.

“Okay, that’s it.” Margot decides all thought of enjoying a nice if not a little late lunch date with her girlfriend pushed to the back of her mind in favor of protecting her new friend and potential boss. “Let’s go get some hot chocolate or something give these two time to remember their manners after you’ve somehow managed to restore my sight.” She suggests looking over toward Gothel with a guilty smile.

Both her mother and Roni started to protest but it was Tilly that quieted them and seemed to remind two of the four that she was still in the bar with them as she spoke.

“Targo.”

It brakes Margot’s heart to see the heartbroken look on Tilly’s face. Although why she was seeing her girlfriend while she stood locked up in the dim lights of a dungeon when they were clearly still in a brightly light bar was a puzzle for another day as she stopped at the door to look back at her. She almost caved as she went back to Tilly’s side giving her what was the softest kiss the two had shared to date made even harder to break from when Margot picked up the taste of Tilly’s tears on her lips when she pulled away.

“I’m sorry Tils.” She wants to say more or at the very least to invite her to come with them but the pain in Tilly’s eyes suggests the offer wouldn’t go over well.

To say the smile Elie has when Margot reaches her seems triumphantly smug would be an understatement not that she spends too much time pondering that fact as she slides her hands into her coat pockets. “Ready?”


	22. A Quote of True Love

“Take over for me.” Is all she says to Sabine whipping her hands on her shirt as she heads for the side door.

She was about to ask what’s wrong given the fact Margot was wearing her sunglasses when the sun wasn’t even out when Robin’s arms locked around her waist hardly giving her time to take the last step down from the truck as Robin crushes a more than surprised and willing Alice against her chest burying her face against Alice’s hair like she would after being apart longer than a day or three back home.

“Missed you.” Robin- no that Margot whispers against her ear as Alice inwardly cursing herself for the slip al be it an internal one as she returns the hug with equal if not more longing than her love. “Missed you more.” Alice corrects intertwining her hand with Rob…Margot’s unable to meet her eyes just yet but wanting to keep her close more than a little pleased that Margot doesn’t seem at all upset by her clinginess.

Margot brings their joined hands up pressing a kiss against Alice’s hand the moment was dampened somewhat by a rather curt “Haven’t seen you around here in a while.” From behind them.

Alice cringes as Margot’s face falls at the scold in the greeting the protective anger simmering just below the surface. “I took a second job. Kept me pretty busy.”

Alice hopes Tiana’s cursed persona will let the matter drop. Thankfully she does thanks to catching Alice’s much happier state as her assistant leans into the other woman’s side “Good to have you back. Want your usual?” Alice beams while Margot nodes in thanks “On the house.” The business owner adds seeing Margot reaching for her wallet as she heads back into the truck.

Almost as soon as Tiana is out of sight Margot once again pulls Alice off her feet in another hug seeming to be struggling with the want to lean in and kiss her. Alice feels her cheeks heat up at the thought that she soon turns into action pulling Margot in by the lapels of her coat. What can she say? If kisses were drugs, then Alice is most definitely an addict with Robin or in this case Margot being her drug of indefinite choice.

Unlike the last time, she and Margot had kissed this felt different. More…magical. Almost as if….Yet that was all but impossible, to say the least. If Robin were awake surly, she would have come back to her sooner. Right?

Tiana clearing her throat makes her remember that as much as she’d like they are not in fact alone. Margot rocks back on her heels keeping one arm slung around Alice’s waist as she turns her head surprisingly not at all upset about the PDA other than being a bit upset at it ending prematurely like Alice was.

“Thanks Sabine.”

Tiana shrugs throwing Alice a wink as she heads back into the back of the truck while Margot takes the lead in guiding them over to what had become their bench whenever the food truck would choose to set up shop close to the bar.

Almost as soon as they’ve sat down Margot is tugging Alice closer against her side almost as if she was afraid Alice would disappear if she let her get too far away.

Alice can tell something in bothering her but holds her tongue choosing instead to snuggle back into Margot’s arms while they enjoy the fresh beignets Sabine packed for them sharing a bottle of water Margot fished from her backpack between them.

They’d just finished when Margot chooses to speak again. “I think I’ve figured this crazy situation out.”

“Oh yeah?” Alice laughs without real humor in her voice pillowing her head against her girlfriend’s shoulder as Margot nodes sliding her sunglasses higher up her nose. “That this whatever this is it’s not a curse per say it’s more like some weird kind of reincarnation.”

“Reincarnation huh?” Alice tilts her head to the side both amused and intrigued by the idea as her clever girlfriend once again digs into her backpack.

“It’s actually really interesting and reminds me of the time I spent wondering Egypt before I came back home…see.”

Alice blinks as a book is pushed into her hands. She’d expected a travel book on Egypt but instead, it was something different. Before she can ask about it the light blue highlighting on the page the book it opened to catches her eye.

_“And I’d choose you; in a hundred lifetimes, in a hundred worlds, in any version of reality, I’d find you and I’d choose you.”_

Alice reads over the words more than once each time after the initial she feels more moisture pooling at the corners of her eyes. Quickly closing the book Alice noted the title: The Chaos of Stars by Kiersten White so she could pick up a copy for herself later at the Pop and Pop book shop down the block.

“You can barrow it if you want.” Margot offers as if reading her thoughts helpfully sliding a bookmark between the pages for her as she hands it back. “I need to get back to work anyway.” She seems to be on some kind of tight time table if the glance she made at a stopwatch on her phone was any indication.

“Yeah me too.” Actually, that’s a lie. She still has a good ten minutes left in her lunch break.

Margot’s lips are back on her own the second Alice stands to at least give her girlfriend a goodbye hug before she leaves.

“See you around.”

The words where just a whisper against her lips yet when Alice’s eyes open it's just in time to see Margot jogging back the way she’d come.

Alice doesn’t say anything as she takes a seat in the back of the truck and thankfully neither does Sabine going back to fixing up fresh batches of beignets and making sure the gumbo hasn’t simmered too long.

Thinking of killing more time rather than sulking over not being able to have more time with her girlfriend Alice slumps down in the passenger seat opening her new book only to let out a little gasp her eyes wide in surprise at the message scrawled on the ripped scrap of paper acting as a bookmark.

‘Keep it safe—I love you Tower Girl’

The message itself was a bit of a puzzle. Keep what safe? The book? But the second part. Her love. Her nickname.

“Nobin.”

“What was that?” Sabine asks poking her head into the cab with a puzzled look.

“Nothing.” Alice covers not realizing she was crying until Sabine hands over a napkin “Are you sure your okay Tilly?”

Alice nodes slipping the note back into the book as she gets back to her feet. “I’ll be back in a little while.” She promises this time grabbing her jacket on her way to the steps out of the truck.

“Just be careful alright.” Tiana calls after her as she hurries toward the sidewalk.

Its when Alice is hunting her pockets for her phone as she runs that she feels it. The weight that hadn’t been there before in her right pant pocket making her slow to a stop making several people grumble as they sidestep around her.

It turns out to be a watch.

Not just any watch.

It was her watch. The one she’d gotten from one of her adventures in Wonderland.

And it was ticking.


End file.
